Psychosis
by ChatterBOXX
Summary: Some say that the line between sanity and insanity is often very hard to see and we all walk on the edge able to fall at any second. I think I may have finally breached that invisible barrier. It's true, ones biggest enemies are the enemies of the mind. Chapter SEVEN was rewritten and posted (12/18/2014)!
1. Bad Day

Psychosis

Chapter One: _Bad Day_

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.**

_Thank you_** AlexHamato** _for being my beta reader for the rewriting of this story and pushing me to achieve greatness._

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><p>Hello <em>Psychosis<em> readers! I decided that I was not happy with_ Psychosis_ and so I chose to rewrite all of my old chapters, starting with chapter one of course. Please, if you have already read chapter one, I advise you to reread it because something's are a bit different. I will update the summary (with a date) every time I rewrite a chapter so keep on checking! Thank you all for your wonderful support.

-ChatterBOXX

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><p>"Really Raphael, do we have to watch this?" I whined while flopping down on the worn couch in the living room. In my hand was a bowl of freshly popped popcorn, which I had intended on eating while watching the mega monster movie festival. Eyeing my brother, he seemed unfazed. His eyes were glued to the screen as this evening's breaking news filled the air.<p>

Seeing as my first attempt to gain my brothers attention failed, I decided to try again. "Seriously Raph, I don't wanna watch the news tonight, it's always so depressing," I whined out, a bit louder this time.

"Quite Mikey, I'm watching this," Raph grumbled while turning up the volume. Sighing in defeat, I returned my eyes back to the flickering screen. I hope that this evening's story will not dampen my cheery mood.

After Adam Litmen filled us in about the sunny a clear skies we could look forward to all week, the screen jumped to Nancy Clearwater standing in front of a warehouse. The building was in extremely poor condition and there was a lot of activity as rescue workers evacuated tons of people.

"A few hours ago, a patrol officer received an anonymous tip. The witness saw a group of men dragging what appeared to be restrained people of various ages into this building. When Officer Black arrived on the scene, he knocked on the door and questioned the tenets. After a few moments Officer Black told us, he heard an ear-piercing scream that had appeared to come from a child, and he proceeded to force his way into the building. He immediately noticed the poor condition the house was kept in as well as the sheer amount of people, mostly children, which were cramped in the small room. What was even more surprising Officer Black shared, was that most of the people were nude or wearing very little clothing. Calling for back up and drawing his weapon, he attempted to keep the men at the scene of the crime, but they fled. They were later caught by police officers later at a local bar. According to police, this house is believed to have been a part of the major human trafficking business. This is Nancy Clearwater bringing you your breaking news."

"It never ceases to amaze me how humans will stop at nothing to make a quick buck," Raph growled at the television, "I mean did you see most of the people they were evacuating, they were kids!"

I sat in silence. I was still trying to process all of the information that was given to me; I never was good with things like this. As the news switched to showing pictures of past victims of trafficking, whose lives had been taken from them, my heart fell as I felt gurgling bile rise to the back of my throat. I don't know why hearing about human trafficking, or human suffering in general always has this effect on me, but I did know that I had to get away from the television. Seeing all of those sad eyes in the pictures staring back at me was haunting, and I felt as if they were all trying to tell me something.

Standing up, I gingerly placed the bowl of untouched popcorn on the table and swiftly flipped over the sofa. Turning on my heels to head to my room, I heard Raph shout my name. "Mikey, where are you going, I thought you wanted to watch that movie marathon." Pausing as he noticed the slight twitch in my shoulders, he continued on a little more cautiously, "you okay, you're not going to beat yourself up over what you saw are you?"

Sighing, I turned around. "No, I am fine, honestly and I did want to watch the movies, but dude, I am super tired now, I think I am just going to head to bed." With that, I quickly left and headed to my room before he could push the matter forward. As I was shutting the door, I heard him shout something about eating my bowl of popcorn. I honestly didn't care at this point.

Sliding down to the floor, my mind replayed the images of the past victims repeatedly in my head. I felt paralyzed as nauseating empathy coursed its way through my body like black sludge. "Why does it hurt every time," I whispered to my cold and cluttered floor, "it's been this way for as long as I can remember, I want it to stop." Suddenly, I felt the familiar surge of pain shoot through my head as another headache began to emerge. Not again, I thought to myself as I pinched where the bridge of my nose should be.

Slowly standing up, I began taking off my gear in order to get more comfortable. As I was taking off my belt, I heard the metallic clatter of something falling to the stony ground. Tossing my belt to the side, I dropped to my knees, searching for the noises culprit. As my fingertips lightly brushed a smooth circular object, I smiled in recognition. It was a small golden pocket watch that my father had found in his room and given me a few days back. I honestly thought it was the coolest thing ever because it looked like it belong in a Sherlock Holmes film or something.

The watch itself was golden with careful symbols carved around its delicate casing. On the inside, a glass covering protected the golden numbers and hands as they danced around the pearl face. Wait a second, the hands were ticking, they did not do that when my dad gave it to me, we thought it was busted! Slowly, I shrugged it off, maybe a good hard drop on the ground was all this thing need to give it a jump start. Turning the watch over, I was impressed with what I saw. On the back was an engraved message written in careful cursive that read, "To Jude Prezlocki, with love, mom." I am not sure who Jude is, but I thank him and his mom for this awesome watch that is now in my possession. Walking to my dresser, I gently cleared off a small space and placed it down.

Still feeling bummed out about the news, I decided that the best medicine for this malady that plagued me was a night session with my Gameboy. I bet Sora, Donald, and Goofy could use some help defeating the heartless. Grabbing my onyx black game system, I flipped it on and turned off the light. Carefully maneuvering through my cluttered room, I made my way to my bed and sat down with a satisfied plop. Speeding through the beginning credits, I wondered how long it would take me to beat the game; my best time was twelve hours…

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><p>You know how you get that feeling, the one where you just know it is going to be a bad day. Well, that is exactly how I felt this morning. I was lying in bed, somewhere in between slumber and wakefulness, nursing a killer headache when suddenly; a loud and rapid hammering noise filled my silent room. Each thump sent waves of pain rippling through my already hypersensitive head. At first, I must admit, I was startled out of my peaceful state of limbo, but I settled down once I realized that the loud noise was one of my brothers pounding their big meaty fist on my bedroom door.<p>

Pulling a pillow over my head, I tried to drown the sound that was ricocheting in my room like a stray bullet, hoping that it will get lost in the downy material.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

No such luck.

I groggily peeled my exhausted eyes open, only to quickly close them. My brain screamed at me for exposing it to new sensory. Sighing to myself, it did not take me long to realize that today was going to be a long day, a very long day indeed.

Maybe I shouldn't have stayed up all night playing Kingdom Hearts, but then again I did beat my last time.

"Alright sleeping beauty, it's time to get your lazy butt out of bed. Good old Fearless wanted us to leave for patrol five minutes ago."

Ugh, Raph. He must have drawn the shortest straw and was assigned wake up duty. Maybe if I ignore him, he will lose interest and leave me alone. Come on, just ignore him Mikey, you can do it.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Or not.

"Raph, please stop knocking and go away, I don't feel so good, and I am too tired to do anything today," I groaned loud enough for him to hear me through the pillow. My plea was met by another rapid succession of knocks on my door, causing me to cringe away from the noise. My head honestly felt like it was mauled by a horde of angry mousers.

Aw, Come on Raph, make like a tree and leaf me alone! I really don't feel up for anything thing today, I thought to myself as his knocking began building up in intensity and frequency. I guess Leo must be riding Raph's ass about getting me up, either that or he seriously has no life.

"This isn't the Holiday Inn, you have to get up before the sun goes down! Leo's riding my ass to get you down, and I am not listening to another one of his dumb ass lectures. Get up before I make you get up!"

Well, I guess the first place trophy goes to me, Michelangelo, for totally predicting my brothers. You know, sometimes I really think I need to spend more time away from them. This routine that we have fallen into over the years has gotten so predictable that it isn't even funny anymore. Pressing the pillow tighter against my head, I tried to make my body as motionless as possible.

As I was, laying there in my bed listening to the mantra of calloused flesh striking dense hardened wood, I pictured Raphael as some sort of predator, like a bear and I was the next meal he was eagerly seeking out. From what I learned on Animal Planet, all I needed to do was lay silent motionless and maybe, just maybe he will lose interest and leave me alone.

I heard someone jiggling the lock and I couldn't help but to let out a small chuckle. If he thinks he can break through that lock he has another thing coming, Donny made sure of that.

When the pounding outside ceased, my lips cracked open to reveal a small smile of relief. "Success," I whispered to myself as sleep began embracing me once again, lightening my still aching head. I couldn't have been asleep for more than five minutes when I heard the menacing clatter of a lock unlocking. Damn, twice in one day I have been proven wrong, and not even fifteen minutes apart. I guess it is true; you cannot stop the eager.

I can't believe Raph could actually pick it, being that it was designed by Engineering Master Donatello himself.I remember that day as if it was yesterday. Donatello was running through the house tearing out doorknobs and replacing the locks with the ones he built because he was getting tired of some of us, who shall remain nameless, barging into his lab and 'testing' his electronics. Originally, he just salvaged a standard run of the mill lock for his lab, but after watching a few movies where people picked locks with common household items, he decided to alter it a bit, while also modifying a few others so everyone could have one.

When the door opened, I pressed my face against my pillow and braced myself for the fury that I knew Raph would dish out. Suddenly, I felt the covers being ripped away from my motionless form and Raph's frustrated eyes staring holes into me.

"Mikey," he growled low and menacingly, "I know you're there."

Remember he's a bear so play dead and he will lose interest I thought to myself as I slowed down my breathing giving my idea an honest effort. I felt my bed dip and creak and I heaved a strenuous breath when I felt extra weight on my abdomen. Crap, well I guess my idea didn't work after all, I cursed to myself as I felt calloused fingers roughly lift me from my bed.

"Mikey, get up!"

"Alright, I am getting up just give me a minute," I moaned out slowly opening my eyes.

Grabbing me by the shoulders, he swiftly sent me tumbling off my lofted bed to the stony floor below. My head and body met the unforgiving cold ground with a sickening slap of flesh that echoed throughout my small room. After that, I instinctively started cradling my head.

"Geez Raphael," I shouted as loudly as I could without disturbing my already irritated head, "what's your malfunction bro, I already told you that I didn't feel so well!"

"My problem is that I had to get up five hours before you, listen to Leo bitch and moan about why you haven't gotten up. Either he thinks you're up here dying, or he's stomping around like you're purposely disrespecting him. I don't know**. **I honestly think he is starting to get irritated because he has had to send one of us to drag you out of bed for the past few weeks. Please just get out of bed so I don't have to come back in here and do it myself."

Wow, some older brother you are you jerk, you do not even care about your sweet innocent brother writhing in pain on the floor!

After watching him walk out of my room, I decided that since I have already been wrong twice today, I did not want to go for a third. Carefully I sat up from the floor only to fall back to the floor again. The room was spinning and it felt as if I was having my own personal earthquake.

"Come on Mike, you can do this, a little headache can't stop the Battle Nexus Campion," I thought reassuringly to myself as I slowly stood, fighting through the spinning world as I put on all of my gear, the golden pocket watch, and gathered my nunchakus. On the way out of my room, I stole a glance at a small mirror on my wall. Wow, I look like complete shit! Moreover, that was an understatement. It looked like I haven't slept in days and my skin was slightly pale, well as pale as green skin could get.

Better pull myself together before the guys see me, I thought to myself while trying to make myself look more awake and alert. After doing a few jumping jacks, smacking my face a little bit, and rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I plastered a sewer famous Mikey grin and walked down to the ground floor as quickly as I could.

The whole walk down the stairs was torture, complete and utter torture. It felt as if my eyes were going to shoot out of my head with every heartbeat and my head felt heavier than the brownies that Leo calls himself baking.

When I finally made it to the ground floor and to the living room, I was greeted by three equally annoyed glares. "Nice of you to finally join us Michelangelo" Leo spat at me in his oh so famous leader tone of voice that we have all come to know and love. "Because it took you forever to get ready, we are late for our nightly patrol, which means we will be late getting back, let's get moving before we waste any more time".

When I failed to give some sort of response, Leo turned around and gave me a good long hard glance. Shaking his head, his gaze softened as he slowly approached me.

"Michaelangelo, you do not look so well, are you okay?"

Looking up, I could see the concern in his eyes. There was no use in hiding the fact that I was hurting because he already knew something was up. "I am just really tired and my I have a killer headache."

"You have been complaining about being tired and having this headache for the past few weeks Mikey, not to mention you have been very sluggish," Leo added with a bit of concern in his voice.

"Yeah…I don't know what's going on."

"You know, it's probably a result of you staying up all night playing your new video games. You are probably not getting enough sleep, which is causing your headaches and lethargy," Donny added, shrugging and adjusting his bag on his shoulder.

In that moment, all of my brother's eyes fell accusingly onto me. Gee, thanks for throwing me under the bus Don. Shifting back and forth on my feet, all I could do was flash a nervously guilty grin.

"Mikey, how many times have we told you not to stay up all night playing those games," Leo expectantly remarked, crossing his arms in front of his plastron.

Glancing back and forth between my brothers glares, my eyes ultimately fell on Leo's. As our eyes locked, he cocked his head to the side as if he was eager to hear what I had to say for myself.

Are they really trying to blame my headaches on my precious video games? How dare they!

"Well Mikey?"

Sheepishly, I began rubbing my head. "I dunno bro…I am guessing somewhere along the lines of hundreds, but I don't think staying up late playing video games night after night would cause a headache like this." Judging by the look on my brothers faces, I could tell that that was not the best response I could have given.

"How can it not be," Raph interjected his posture mirrored Leonardo's.

Sometimes, I really do not understand why those two fight a lot, they have so much in common, and they even stand the same way!

How can it not be, I thought to myself as my shoulders and mouth dropped. I guess I have to spell it out for them, and here I thought the reason was super obvious. "Because, I have stayed up before doing the same stuff and nothing happened. I swear, my babies, um well, games are not to blame!"

Finishing that statement, I sat down on the cold floor with a thud. I was exhausted, and trying to defend all that I hold near and dear was taking a lot out of me. Sighing, I looked up at my brothers, two of which were thoughtfully contemplating what I just said, while the other rigidly looked at the lair entrance, clearly anxious to begin todays training run patrol combo. Donny was the first to speak and I could tell by the look in his eye, that irritating shimmer he got when he was on to something that I was not going to like what he had to say.

"Fine Mikey. Supposedly, let's say the video games are not the case and it truly is some other issue. In order to deduce what could be causing these 'killer headaches', we should try to minimize all of the excess variables."

Minimize the what? Gosh, I really hate when he tries to turn life into a math equation!

"What do you mean?"

Looking to Leo, I noticed his eyes widen and then narrow as he caught whatever wave Donny was surfing on. "I agree with Don."

"Agree on what?"

"In order to exclude the possibility of your late night activities giving you headaches, we need to see if you improve without them," Donny stated, tightening the grip on his bag.

Gasping, I felt a deep frown forming on my face when realization began setting in. "Wait Donny, what do you mean?"

Advancing towards my sitting form, Leo stopped a couple feet in front of me. Looking up, I could not help but to feel like an ant getting ready to go toe to toe with a magnifying glass on a sunny day.

"What he means Mikey is for the next few weeks, we are going to experiment and see if these headaches are brought only by exhaustion alone, or if it really is something else."

"Experiment?" I spoke aloud, cocking my head to the side trying to wrap my head around what was being said.

"Yes experiment, for the next few weeks there will be no late night video games."

"What!" I shouted, well as loud as my head would let me.

"There will be no late night television."

"No, you can't be serious!" I felt my stomach drop.

"Oh, I am serious. There will be no late night comic book reading, or snacking."

"Oh my goodness Leo, please say it isn't so!" Moving to my knees, I slowly began knee walking to my oldest brother in blue. Holding on the bottom edge of his shell, I tried to channel my feelings of dread into his body through my eyes, but he stood there unmoving. Figures.

"Sorry bro, but it is. These late night activities are not good for your mind, body, and spirit anyway. From now on, you will also need to be in bed by no later than 10:00 pm as well."

That was the knife to the stomach, and I dropped my hands in defeat. Looking around at my other two brothers, I could tell that they agreed as well. This is so unfair, I thought, my eyes darting between Raph and Don, they stay up all night doing who knows what and they haven't been assigned a nighttime routine from papa Leonardo.

"Don't even think about trying to get us to go under the ship with you Mikey," Raph grumbled out as if reading my mind, "Our performance has not been affected by whatever we do at night."

Damn. Well, it was worth a thought.

"Alight, so it is settled. Now, let's get this thing started."

With that, he turned on his heels and headed towards the entrance of the lair with Donny and Raph following silently and obediently behind him. When he noticed I wasn't following them, he gave me a quick look over his shoulder. "Coming?"

"Well," I spoke, trying to sound as convincing as I could, "I just figured since we are trying to find the cause of my headaches, I thought it would be best for me to sit a few training runs out, you know just to eliminate all of the extra variables, plus I am tired…"

"Fat chance Mikey," Leonardo chuckled while turning around towards the lair entrance again. I sat super quiet and still hoping that he would forget that I am here, or something like that. Hey, maybe if he does not notice that I am not running with them, I can sneak in a few hours of epic video game time before they make it back! A smile broke across my face.

"You have ten seconds to join us Mikey, starting six seconds ago," Leo shouted from outside in the tunnel.

Breaking out into a careful trot, I caught up to my other two brothers. Darn, why is the world against me today!

When we all entered the sewer, Leo broke into a dead sprint, but quickly slowed down when he saw me struggling. Normally, this wouldn't have been a problem being the fastest of my brothers, but today I found it extremely hard to keep up, as if it took every fiber of my being.

My vision was blurry and my body was shaking. Leonardo and the others kept looking at me and slowing down, but you can only run so slow until it becomes painful. When we finally made it to the manhole of Leo's choice, I was already shaking and breathing hard. "He knuckle head, are you okay?" Raphael questioned, his voice showing a hint of concern. Slowly, I smiled and nodded my head; I did not want them to worry too much about me, especially over a headache.

After waiting behind with Raph and Donny why Leo went to the surface first to check and see if the coast was clear, I clumsily climbed the ladder after them and flopped out of sewer receiving an irritated sigh from Leo which probably would have translated to 'it's not the way of the ninja to flop Mikey'. After seeing the hurt on my face, Leo quickly remembered my situation and mouthed a sympathetic 'I'm sorry'.

Moving to the shadows, Leo started giving us orders about how tonight's patrol of the city should work. "Alright guys, we are going to do a quick run through the city, but towards the end, I want to make a stop down south to check to make sure the group of thugs we stopped a few nights ago are staying out of trouble. He continued giving us his plans, but I was only half-paying attention because I saw something moving on the other side of the ally.

"Guys, I don't think we are alone in this ally," I whispered while pulling out my nunchakus and slowly revolving them.

My brother's years of ninja training kicked in instantly, and they skillfully drew out their weapons and started moving towards where I was staring.

"Are you sure you saw something here Mikey"? Donatello's questioning voice asked me.

"Yeah dude, I am positive I saw something moving over there while Leo was talking"

"Mikey there is no one here" Leo spoke to me in a flat tone while placing his katanas back on his back. "I know you are tired and not feeling yourself tonight, but your mind has been elsewhere for the past few weeks, you need to focus, this is serious!"

"Yeah knuckle head" Raph spat, "you have been more spaced out than normal, cut it out will ya'"

Geez, where is the love in this family?

"Sorry guys…I guess made a mistake."

"Just don't make a habit of it tonight bro, you had us scared that we were going to get ambushed or something of the sorts," Donatello said, while placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"Sorry guys my head has just really bugging me and I-"

"Mikey, your excuses may fly with Master Splinter, but they will not work with me now keep quiet and focus we are going to scale the north side of the city and then work our way to the south" Leo spoke clearly irritated at the amount of time being wasted.

Aww man, noooooo! That's going to take all night, and I honestly don't think I will be able to make it that long.

As if sensing my uneasiness, Leo turned around. His face lost the hardened edge that it held only moments ago and he gave me a slight smile. "We will take it as slow as we can, yeah," he added, even though more of a command than a question.

"Okay bro" I said giving him my trademark grin and with that, I silently followed him and my other two brothers up the nearest building. My head started rapidly pounding again, but I fought the pain.

While jumping from building to building I couldn't shake the feeling off that we were being followed, but every time I looked back I saw nothing.

Weird, my head hurting must have me jumpy or something…C'mon Mikster focus your already the under turtle today just focus, I mean if we keep going at this somewhat steady easy pace I should be fine, yeah, fine.

"Mikey, hurry up, we are picking up the pace just a little bit" Leo shouted quickening his pace.

Darn it,I thought to myself as I fought the pain in my head and body in an effort to keep up with my brothers, why do I get the feeling that this is going to be a long night…

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><p><strong>AN:** So, here is the first chapter, (again!). For those of you that are new to the story, I hope you like what you have read so far, and for those of you who have already read it, I hope this chapter was a much better reading experience. As I said, when I rewrite a chapter, I will post it in my summary. Thank you all so much and please read and review, it always puts a smile on my face! Constructive criticism is also welcomed, as well as general advice!

-ChatterBOXX


	2. Trouble

**Psychosis**

Chapter 2:_Are you okay?_

**Disclaimer: I do not own those four fantastic mutated heroes…all I own is the love I have for them in my heart!**

****_Thank You Alex Hamato for being my beta reader for this rewrite. Your help has been amazing._

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><p>So here is chapter two of the rewrite! I hope you all enjoy it :D! Its a little different from what I originally posted so I hope that it doesnt disappoint! Authors note is at the end.<p>

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><p>As the hours rolled on, as much as it pains me to admit, it became very obvious that I was not going to be able to keep up with my other three brothers. It seemed as if they had long forgotten my painful circumstance, and opted instead to compete against each other. As they twisted, leaped, and galloped over the darkened rooftops, I stared wide-eyed in awe, captivated by their grace. They made everything look effortless, which made me realize just how hard all the feats we execute are. Their agile movements contrasted greatly with my sloppy and heavy ones as I trudged on. It literally took every ounce of my energy to stay at a marginally reasonable distance, and as they ran on, laughing, joking, and trying to one up each other, all I could do was scowl. Every now again, one of them would look back to see where I was and then give me one of their sly brotherly smiles which seem to read, 'well now thy brother, the tables have turned.' Now I can see why they didn't seem to enjoy my amusement. So yeah, you guys, suck it all up like a sponge, remember, that used to be me up there.<p>

As I stomped on, enjoying my invitation only pity party, I almost missed my oldest brother yelling as I came to a slow stop. "Mikey hurry up you're falling behind" Leonardo shouted while looking over his shoulder and jumping to the next building. Instead of trying to execute a normal jump, he opted to try to show everyone up and do a double front flip. With this headache, I just hope he doesn't expect me to try and do the same.

"Hey, does it look like I am not trying" I shouted, not even hiding my irritation, "maybe you guys are just falling ahead. Did you ever think about that?" Looking to my left, I head Don scoff and quickly shake his head. Rolling my eyes, I dramatically threw my hands up in the air because I knew what that meant. Somewhere in the hustle and bustle of the city that never sleeps, I heard Don pointedly make a statement about how it is impossible for one to 'fall ahead', but I ignored it.

"Mikey, I know you have a headache, but you are not even trying. Look at you, you're walking now, and we are almost done, come on just fight it a little more to the end, I know you can do it."

"Yeah cheese ball" Raph shouted back mimicking Leo's moves perfectly, "even slow poke brainiac over here is beating you"!

"No one asked you loudmouth!" I growled through clenched teeth.

"Hey, you try running while carrying a duffle bag," Donatello voice called out as he prepared to make the same jump that the elder two brothers had just completed, "between the medical supplies, camera, lock pick, and various others supplies, I am at least working with thirty extra pounds." When he made it over to the other rooftop, he was met with a rain of high fives and compliments as they all applauded themselves for their jobs well done. Shortly, they began talking amongst themselves, arguing who had the better form, and each voting for themselves.

Oh yeah, you try running with a head that feels like its two thousand pounds and then we can talk about pain! Bitterly, I turned away, and I could not help but to feel hostile. So this is what is must feel like to be in last place.

"And then there was one," Don spoke, turning to face me, his smug voice filling the air. That little quip sent my other two brothers into fits of giggles and jeers, while I just tightened my fist in annoyance. We all knew that was something I would say. Man, I just wanted to smack the smarts out of him. The one day where he is not in last place, and he is already dissing out burns, and people seem to think that I have a big ego.

"You know what they say," I shouted at my brothers through the darkness, "the best is always saved for last."

"If that was the case dear brother," Leo quickly shouted back through fits of laughter, "then why am I over here and not standing where you are right now."

That jerk, that conceded jerk. I guess the whole big brother being concerned for the pined little brother routine has completely worn off at this point. He was having too much fun showing off with the other three. I guess Leo is only human after all, well as human as a big green turtles gets I guess.

"Well har-dee-har-har" I shouted back at them shocked by how hurt my voice sounded, "Even Leo likes to take part in making me look like a loser every now and again, and here I thought that spot was on reserve for Raph".

"Aw Mike quite your gripping , we are just pulling your shell," Raph shouted back suppressing his small giggles, "just jump already okay so we can get moving, I want to go check out the those thugs hotspot so we can go home already."

Raph actually wants to continue on a patrol run, and I am the one that is sick something is not right here.

"Stop rushing me guys, you can't rush perfection" I shouted back while getting in position for a running start, "I mean don't forget that you're dealing with hmm,I dunno, The Battle Nexus Champion"!

The joint growls that I heard from my three older brothers were enough to make a smile appear on my face. Taking a deep breath of the cities cool air I closed my eyes, trying to ease the pulsing in my brain before I made the jump. Needless to say, I had no such luck.

It is now or never, I groggily thought as I took off in a medium but steady pace towards the other building. When my foot touched the cold damp ledge that I was planning to kick off of, a loud blast erupted a few buildings behind my brothers, followed by a succession of emergency buildings heading to the source. The noise startled me, and I fell back to the roof with a graceless thud. Shaking my head clear, I moved to my knees and peeked over the ledge to my brothers, hoping they didn't see my flooring.

To my relief, they had all turned around, facing the loud activities a few buildings away. I could tell that they were talking to each other, but I could no longer hear them. Straining, I tried hard to focus in on their lips, I tried to hear their words, but my attempt what just that.

A stinging sensation of gravel digging into my knees caused me to slowly stand up and brush off my legs. Looking up, and seeing that my brothers were still occupied with

whatever was happening on the other side of the building gave my hope that I could join them by using the fire escapes, the normal and less strenuous way. As I searched around the rooftop for a ladder that led down to the silent street below me, I couldn't help but to feel as if something wasn't right.

Stopping my search, I began looking around at the sea of rooftops that surrounded my own. They were all empty, which was to be expected. Rubbing the back of my neck and shrugging I continued gave the rooftops a slow sweep one last time. Maybe my brothers were right, maybe I should cut back on the video games, comics, and late nights for a little while, I am starting to become a little paranoid.

As my eyes feel on the last rooftop, which was adjacent to the building with all of the commotion, I had to squint my eyes. I saw what appeared to be a shadowed figure standing on the ledge, very dangerously close to the edge. Even though I couldn't get a good look at the figure from where I was standing, I got a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach and in the back of my head and I knew that whomever that was, was not just standing there star gazing.

A tiny feeling of dread started to course its way through my body. I have seen this situation before. It always started with someone down on their luck, standing on a rooftop sucking in one last scene of the city before they take a twelve-story drop to their bone shattering death. I'm surprised the other three didn't notice this person. They should have a very clear view. They are probably more interested in the loud noises and flashing lights to even take notices of the silent forlorn figure. It's tragic, extremely tragic, and I didn't want to witness that tonight.

I opened my mouth to shout at my brothers in order to gain their attention and tell them about an impending death. Before words could pour out and be sent on a windy current to the other rooftop, I quickly shut my mouth changing my mind. They were already annoyed with my slow green ass to begin with; I doubt they would even believe me, especially after the fluke in the alleyway.

I bet they were keeping an eye on whatever was going on in case they felt the need to help whoever was involved, and that was good for them. I on the other hand ultimately decided to help the gloomy individual. I had my shell cell and I could contact my brothers when I was done to let them know my location. I might get an earful from mother Leo though. He doesn't like it when any of us run off, even though Raph and him seem to do it quite a bit. Taking one last look at the building that my brothers were now rooted to, I quickly made my way to the fire escape, and began on my silent descent. On the ground, I felt a rush of relief. The streets were, its inhabitants drawn to the noise like rats to cheese, or tea like in Splinters case.

Stealthy, I kept to the shadows, just in case I ran into a few stragglers. After what seemed like hours but in reality was a few minutes, I made it to the alleyway of other building. Looking around at the old run down structure, I couldn't help but to feel familiarity. It was clearly a squatter house, the boarded up windows said that much. I wonder if my brothers and I used this building for hide and seek when we were younger; abandon buildings were always our favorites. Blindly, I groped in the darkness for the ladder and heaved a satisfied sigh as my fingers curled around the worn cool metal. Pulling myself up one slow step at a time, I groaned, I never realized how heavy I felt. As I inched my way to the top, I felt adrenaline warm my blood as the severity of the situation set in. I was going to try to convince some random guy or gal not to kill themselves.

Peeking over the ridge, I swiftly jumped to the concrete top and rolled into the shadows, keeping out of their sight. I didn't want him or her to see me until I was right behind them, I didn't want to prompt them to put their decision on fast forward, or risk them fainting and falling off at the sight of me. Quietly, I inched my way to the person who hadn't moved an inch as if I were approaching a frightened animal. Swallowing and licking my dried lips, I soft spoke, "Hey. Pretty good scenery up here, right? Just sightseeing? It looks even better when you're not standing over a ledge. Gotta love the safety of actual ground under your feet, you know?"

From where I was standing, I could see the figure look up slowly as if they were thinking about something. From where I was standing, I could finally make out some basic shapes of the figure, and from the boxy hips and short blonde hair, my best guess that this individual was a guy probably in his late teens.

"The scenery is perfect," the teen, never turning around, "how are you?"

Shaking my head as I felt a lightning bolt of pain strike, I snapped my eyes shut. "I guess I'm fine, but how are you, not many people stand on the edge of a roof just because they think the scenery is pretty."

He was silent again, and I began getting nervous. I prepped my body, just in case I needed to quickly spring into action in order to save him. Finally he spoke, "is your head hurting you?"

Snapping my eyes open, I stared back at him in confusion. How could he possibly know my head was killing me. Thinking it over for a few seconds, I came to the conclusion that he was just asking me a trick question to throw me off his trail or something.

"Come on dude, just step off that ledge okay, we both know that you are, not just looking at the scenery. Look, whatever is going on in your life, it's not going to get fixed by you taking your life, nothing is worth that much maybe I can help?"

The teen went silent again and I knew that things were not going to end well. Wordlessly, I started to make my way towards the ledge on which the teen was standing. Still looking down at his mental graveyard he eerily spoke, "light ticks away from this world leaving darkness in its wake. The realm that laid dormant has now been awakened," pausing, he rapidly peeked over his shoulder at me and then turned away, "can you keep up?"

Just as I was about to open my mouth and question what the boy said, he bravely dove off the roof. Before I even registered what was going on, I broke off into a dead run, following suite.

* * *

><p><strong>(AN)** So here is chapter two of the rewrite. I hope you all like it :) Its a bit different but I feel as if it is more interesting. Please review, constructive criticism and advice are always welcomed.


	3. The Plummet

**Psychosis**

_Chapter Three: The Plummet_

I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

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><p>Have you ever sat back and wondered why you do the things you do? Like, what compels your muscles and mind to react the way it does to certain situations. Like, for example, why does Leo feel the need to protect us all of the time, or why does Raph feels the need to go after every thug in New York, or heck, even why Donny desires to break into every building with a sophisticated lock. I guess some things are out of our control. Don once told me that how we act is based on chemical reactions taking place in our bodies based on certain stimuli, and that they are usually predetermined by how we perceive things…or something like that. I guess that would explain why I decided to take a running leap off a twenty-four story building in hot pursuit of some suicidal kid.<p>

Damn chemicals.

From the moment my foot struck the grainy ledge, my muscles tightened and sent me hurdling over the edge. I knew that this could not end well. As the comfort of sturdy ground became a long a forgotten memory, my heart quickened at my sudden weightlessness. Suffocating wind blinded my eyes and I felt cold tears streak down my chapped face. My stomach twisted into knots; my arms were numb and extended in front of my body. Buildings and lights whizzed past my eyes, blurring into a single smudge on the darkened canvass. The street below slowly grew, expanding its mouth, waiting patiently to consume.

This crazy boy was so far ahead of me and he seemed calmed as if he was accepting his fate. Desperately, I tried calling out to him, but the rushing air carried my words away from me as soon as they left my mouth. Maybe this was a mistake; he seemed to have no regret. I guess Leo was right, you can't save everyone; some people don't want to be saved. As the ground drew closer and closer, I braced myself for our impacts. I knew that this could not end well.

Suddenly, a bright flash filled my vision and my head snapped to its origin. Mere meters in front of the mysterious teen, what appeared to be a gateway opened up. The radiant glow that it was emitting appeared welcoming, beckoning the teen into its crux. I stared at the spectacle in front of me, dumbstruck, but ultimately impressed; I almost forgot that I was falling to my death. As quickly as the illumination appeared, it vanished, taking all traces of its brilliance and the boy with it.

This whole situation was starting to smell like a set up, and boy was it stinking. I can't believe me of all people would be stupid enough to follow some mysterious person off the edge of a building. Now, they are probably safe wherever they are watching me paint the sidewalks of New York a delicious green color.

Stupid Mikey.

Fumbling in the air, I tried unsuccessfully to save myself, and after a while, I realized that I had nothing. Now I understood why Donny felt the need to carry around that thirty-pound duffle bag, you never know what just might save your sorry shell, and now I would give anything for a grappling hook. Squeezing my eyes shut, I threw my arms over my face. What good this would do, I don't know. I guess the completely instinctual need to protect your head was starting to kick in.

Well cruel world, I guess the fat lady has finally sung her last tune. I just hope that my brothers don't get to torn up over this, or in the small chance that I do make this fall, I just hope that my brothers don't tear me apart for doing something so stupid. I knew that my body wasn't far from the ground now, and I only had mere moments before impact. Well, in the middle of my groveling, a golden glow peaked in through the cracks of my arms, and past my tensed eyelids. Time seemed to stand still and my body felt suspended and tranquil. My heart rate slowed, my thoughts stopped spinning like water in a toilet bowl, and my breathing returned to a more normal rhythm. Slowly, my limbs lost their numbed feeling, and my senses felt very alive. Cautiously, I opened my eyes only to notice that the same golden beam that had swallowed the boy was engulfing me as well. No longer was I meeting the cold ground of New York for a deadly hug.

For the first time in months, my head was clear; the pain had subsided, fleeing my body. Everything about this moment was blissful, and I tried desperately to hold onto it. Right now, I didn't care where I was, or what was going on. I just wanted to absorb this moment, this feeling of warmth, the comfort of clarity. My brothers, my life, the present situation meant nothing, absolutely nothing. This feeling, like having your head separated from your body while descending a rapid roller coaster was pure and utter ecstasy.

I was only able to briefly enjoy that delightful moment. Suddenly, I felt as if my body was being squeezed through a giant tube of toothpaste; clean mint. The world became compressed and elongated as I plummeted through the gilded abyss. Faster and faster I fell, my stomach quivering, tears streaming. A whirring noise filled my ears and a brief moment of agonizing pain clenched my bones with white searing hot knuckles.

Then there was nothingness.

No whirring, no compression, no glimmering paradise.

I felt grounded; I was tied to something firm once again. Slowly I cracked open my eyes only to realize that I was face down in soft dirt. Carefully, I extended my arms out to my side, and dug my fingers into the loose soil. My face constricted up into a questioning glare. I moved to my knees and instantly threw up, the contents streaming down my plastron. Looking around, I felt my stomach plummet.

Well Toto, we sure aren't in Kansas anymore.

Lightly, I took inventory of my weapons and limbs. Everything was accounted for. Swiftly, I grabbed the golden pocket watch and smiled in relief, happy that it survived the fall, and it was still ticking proudly.

"If I lost you that would have sucked big time," I whispered into its gleaming face.

Well, Mikey boy, what sort of mess have you gotten yourself into now? I was in some jungle type area, somewhat similar to a level I played on Call of Duty, I think, well sort of. How does one end up falling to their death in a city, to appearing in Simba's playground? Shaking my head, I squeezed my eyes shut and massaged my temples in a circular motion. Replaying the events of my extremely odd day, I tried to make sense of my situation.

I was running with my brothers, then something had happened a few buildings away and they decided to check it out. I saw some figure on another building standing on the ledge, which spells trouble wherever you are. I ran to confront said figure only to find out that it's some young dude. He says something creepy and then jumps. I, like the hero I am, went after him. He was swallowed by some gold light, and so was I, and now I am here. In the jungle, with vomit on my chest.

Great.

Carefully, I stand up, my legs feeling a bit wobbly, but the sensation wore off after a few seconds. Stretching my slightly stiff muscles, I then moved to wipe off the mess that was staining my shell like some messed up badge of honor. Scratching the back of my skull, I thought about my next course of action.

Well, it's not like I haven't been in situations like this before. Cocking my head to the side in thought, I snapped my fingers when an idea popped into my brain.

"Hey," I shouted into the empty moist air, "I bet since that boy came through the same portal thingy that I did, he is probably around here somewhere. When I find him, I can convince him to help me. Once he gets a look at these baby blues he will definitely point me back to New York."

Smirking at how flawless my planned sounded, I began tracking through the dense foliage, desperate to get back home to normalcy, and my family…

Well, maybe without the normal.

* * *

><p>Standing on the rooftop while letting the calm air gently sway my startled and uninterested body back and forth, I stared down and the sadly comical scene below. I mean, when one hears a loud explosion disrupting the stilled and tranquil atmosphere, one expects to find something noteworthy and fascinating. Some great causes could have been, a meteor crashing dramatically into the heart of a city, or bombs placed at the basses of various building detonating poetically, or heck, even a car engine going rogue and incinerating the whole block. I can tell you one does not expect to discover that the cause of the startling blast to be the result of too much built up pressure inside of a condom vending machine outside of the local "adult activities" store. After my brothers and I figured out the cause of all that commotion, let's just say that that ended my perfect clear skies and seventy degree night.<p>

Like any other monotonous day of our lives, we were yet again subjected to participate in a routine training and or patrol run led by our clan's leader himself, Leonardo. Normally, I approach these evenings with the eagerness of zombie starting a vegan lifestyle, given the fact that for the past few months, I have fallen into last place consistently, but this night was different. For one thing, I wasn't in last place, Mikey was. This was a total shocker because being the most athletic of us he is usually yards ahead of us.

He wasn't even standing on the same roof as us, well at least not yet. He was still taking his sweet time, lollygagging on the other roof behind us. Normally, I would give him some words of encouragement to inspire him to light a fire under that lethargic shell, but this calamity unfolding below me was just to perplexing. I must admit though, Mikey has been making me uneasy. He did say he was having extreme pain in his head, which was most likely brought on by his visually over stimulating lifestyle. So I should have been a little more sympathetic, but let's face it, it was nice to give the little guy a spoon full of his own medicine, as the saying goes. So yes, I did taunt, and I did throw in my cheap shots and two cents, but hey, you can't stay the best for long and he brought this on himself.

Tearing myself away from my thoughts, I glanced to my left and gave my two older brothers a questioning glance. Leo had a firm grip on my red clad brother, who was one third of the way over the ledge, I might add. He was staring at the inciting neon sign and the suggestive poses of the mannequins with primal ravenousness. Apparently, Raph had an undying need to go investigate the rest of the erotic retailer just in case there were injured inside, you know 'just in case'. By the stern look on Leo's face, I could tell he was not buying it.

This is going to be interesting.

"Come on Fearless, let me go!" Raph shouted while trying to fruitlessly break free on Leo's iron grip. "What if something exploded in the store too and someone is trapped inside, we should go and you know, have a little look." Given their position, if Raph were to throw his full body weight forward he would knock Leo off balance. While Leo stumbles trying and regain his footing Raph could potentially have enough time to do some 'investigation' of his own, I thought to myself while watching the scene play out before me.

"No, Raphael, I will not allow you to risk getting caught; the place is swarming with cops! Besides, I doubt anyone is hurt, nonetheless hurt far beyond what the cops can help."

I watched their peculiar tug-of-war game for a few minutes while scrunching my nose in confusion. Looking up and down the street, I noticed just how many police officers there were, which was odd. Where were they when more dire situations were occurring in their city? Not that condoms, lubrication, and other vendible objects littering the streets wasn't calamitous, but It seemed as if every available unit was called to investigate the abnormal explosion, there was even an ambulance and a fire truck . It seemed to me that the police department needed to take a trip back to headquarters to discuss their priorities.

Pushing my brothers' squabbling to the back of my mind, I leaned a little bit more over the ledge, craning my neck to get a clear view of the crowd that was beginning to form. It is amazing how something so small could attract the masses, distracting them from their evening meals, local cable, and slumber.

I guess the media was right…

…Sex really does sell.

Returning my attention to my brothers, Raph had both feet firmly planted on the rooftop now, and he was looking as grouchy as ever. I guess he was a little peeved about not being able to get a peak of naked women and various other erogenous elements that all resided in the shop. I guess innocent 'victims' of the miniscule explosion that occurred outside of the store was the last thing on his mind.

I swear he is such a nymphomaniac at times; I should look into this matter further when I have more time.

Looking at Leo, he rolled his eyes and gave me a knowing smile. Smiling back, I couldn't help but to chuckle as Raph scowled at the both of us, picking up on the unspoken conversation. Catching my giggles as if they were some common cold, Raph began laughing as well, Leo joining him too. Finally, we were all flat on our backs laughing and making raunchy jokes about what was going on down below, no pun intended. Times like these make me smile and enjoy the moments I have with my brothers.

"Hey Mikey," Raph sputtered in-between fits of laughter, "remember that time when we were walking to April's house and you found that condom and you thought it was a balloon?"

"Oh man, that day was funny," Leo added holding his sides, "I almost thought he had a heart attack when we told him where that 'balloon' had been."

"You mean that this thing was on a- ew gross!" I added, mimicking my younger brother's voice perfectly.

That memory caused a massive wave of sniggers and hoots as we relived the day. Expecting Mikey to speak up and defend himself, I became curious when I didn't hear a word from my brother in orange.

Raph and Leo must have thought the same thing because they pried open their tear filled eyes and looked around the rooftops. As I stared at their puzzled faces, I began looking around the rooftop too. Where I half expected to see a pouting Mikey, giving us his infamous silent treatment, there was only vacancy.

Standing up and brushing the gravel off the back of his thighs, Leo began calling out Mikey's name while lightly jogging over the rooftop. Only the silent wind and the noise from below answered him. I could tell that he was starting to get nervous from the way he looked at us. Making my way to my feet, I pointed to the building behind us and shrugged, maybe Mikey never made it over here and just decided to stay on the other roof. Nodding, Leo took a running start towards the ledge and leapt to the adjacent rooftop. Raph and I looked at each other and silently took off ourselves. When we landed on the building alongside Leo, I must admit I was perplexed by its emptiness.

"Mikey," Leo shouted, pausing and listening for a response to make its way back to him.

Nothing.

"That knuckle head is always running off Leo, why are you worrying?" Raph asked rolling his eyes and leaning against the ledge of the building.

I could see anxiety build up on Leo's face as he began thinking of every possible situation that our youngest brother could be in right now. Sometimes I feel as though all of that stress Leo allows his mind to succumb to will give him an aneurism one day. I know I should be more worried like him because Mikey 'vanished' without a trace, but this is not the first time he has done this.

It was a common practice really. If he was bored or was getting tired of beating our sorry shells, he would often sneak back to the lair and find another more interesting activity. Sometimes, he would stop for food, or even browse the local comic book shop or toy store too before we even got close to getting back to home.

"Leo calm down or you will give yourself a brain hemorrhage. You know Mikey; he probably just went home or found something better to do."

"Yeah," Raph added clearly unfazed "he's a big turtle now, he can fend for himself."

Looking at us and around the rooftop, Leo sighed. "I don't know, you guys are probably right," grabbing his phone from his belt and dialing Mikey's number, "but I am going to give him a call to see where he went."

Raph and I exchanged silent knowing looks. Leo would not stop thinking about Mike and his whereabouts unless he was certain that he had made it home safely. While Leo continued dialing our M.I.A younger brother, Raph and I went to the ledge to sit, we were both just about done with today's activities.

"He is troubling himself over nothing, I bet the little booger has already made it home and is eating a giant bowl of Captain Crunch while playing his video games as we speak."

"Yeah…," I thought absentmindedly, my mind was already thinking about all of the things that I would rather be doing right now. Leaning back while looking over my shoulder, I could not help but to notice a clothesline suspended between the two buildings. A small smile crept onto my face as I tried suppressing giggles.

"What's so funny Don," Leo asked his face etched in confusion and he made his way back over to us. I could tell that Mikey did not answer.

Trying to get my giggles under control, I pointed to the clothesline. It took a moment, but my other two brothers finally caught on to what I thought was hilarious and Raph and I fell out laughing. Even Leo dropped his serious demeanor for a few minutes to smile and shake his head.

"Remember that day when Mikey decided to run off and do his own solo run because we were to slow for him. He chose to go home after a while I guess but decided to take a route he was not familiar with and ended up getting caught in a mass of clothes lines for an hour!"

Raph's guttural bellow filled the air as a mass of tears streamed down his face in amusement. "Yeah, he was caught in a huge pile of ladies underwear and bras. Remember how we almost couldn't find him because his head was stuck in some poor women's bloomers!"

We all laughed at that memory for a few minutes but it slowly died down as a wave of guilt hit us.

"I remember when we finally decided to help him down, his leg that was caught was swollen because the circulation had been low and he could hardly walk back to the lair," I added looking at Leo sheepishly.

We sat in silence for a few moments and I could tell the feeling of uneasiness was mutual. Suddenly, Leo cleared his throat and stood up walking towards the fire escape. "Alright, we are done for tonight, now let's go see if Mikey made it home."

Standing up and adjusting my bag, and idea made its way into my mind. Dropping my duffle bag to the floor, I swiftly opened it up and began rummaging through its many contents. I could tell my brothers thought I was nuts, but that wasn't new.

Gingerly, I pulled out a tracking device. A while ago, I installed chips inside of everyone shell cells that would constantly give off their whereabouts on a wavelength that only this machine could read. I originally made it so I could keep an eye on Raphael when he decided to disappear for a few days, but I thought everyone could benefit from it.

"I can't believe that I hadn't thought of this sooner!" Rubbing the smooth metallic surface, I felt my smile widen at my own ingenuity.

"Um Donny, what the hell is that?"

Tearing my eyes away from the device, I flashed a big smile at my other two brothers, who looked even more confused by the minuet.

Turning the device on, I held it out so my brothers could get a better look at the three blips that were standing in the same coordinates.

"This, my brothers is a tracking device that will help to answer our question of where exactly Mikey is. I have installed microchips inside each of our shell cells that send of a signal that only this machine can receive. I'll just isolate Mikey's signal and from there we can see where he is!"

I must say, it does my heart good when I saw the impressed looks that my brothers gave me. Even the slight smile and silent head nod of Leo made me feel number one. Silently, I began removing our three signals and programed the machine to search the city for Mikey's. As a grid began popping up, my heart began to sink a little. Looking up at my brothers hopeful faces, all I could do was shake my head.

"Well, is he at home Don," Leo asked, hope filling his voice.

"Well, no actually. His signal is not even close to the lair, it is coming from the opposite direction."

"Well, maybe he decided to take the long way home then," Raph added, his voice surprisingly hopeful.

"No, his signal is coming from pretty high up, my guess is that he is on another building," I added looking at the screen.

"You can tell how high he is up just from looking at a flashing dot on the screen?"

"Well yeah," I responded turning the machine around so they could see, "The closer the signal is to the ground, the stronger the color is, the further the signal is away from surface level, the fainter it gets. I can tell how fast someone is moving too, if there is an increase in one's velocity, the beeping will increase; if there is a decrease in someone's velocity, or no movement at all the beeping will slow down or stop all together."

"So from what you're saying," Leo added tearing himself away from the screen,"Mikey is on a very high building somewhere just standing there?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Good," Raphael interrupted before we could add anything more, "let's go pay him a visit." Stepping away from us and motioning with his arm, he made eye contact with me.

"Lead the way."

Nodding my head firmly, I swiftly made my way to the surface and followed the signal to Mikey's location. My brothers followed suite. It was easy to maneuver through the streets without being seen because all of the blocks inhabitants were still at the scene of the "explosion." As we got closer to the location, I stopped. Turning around, I pointed to the building.

"The signal is coming from up there," I added craning my neck because the building was incredibly tall from ground level. I instantly recognized this building; it was infamous as the cities squatter house. It's crumbled and weathered face showed signs of neglect and abandonment. Through some of the broken windows, it was possible to see the almost skeletal inside. Walls had crumbled and there was probably a lot of garbage from tenants, past and present. Every year, there is someone who wants to tear this ancient structure down, but the idea is always quickly shot down as fast as it is brought up. I guess the city would rather have its homeless holed away in a structure forgotten by time than to have them sleeping on the streets in plain view.

It might bring the property value on their precious homes down after all.

"He is on top of this rundown piece of garbage, what is so interesting about some old squatter house?" Raph questioned while folding his arms across his plastron.

"I don't know but-"Leo turned around and looked at me with a puzzled expression, "Donatello, your machine is going haywire, its beeping like crazy turn it down."

"What," I shouted looking at the screen in disbelief as the machine wailed continuously and shaking my head, "this is bad this is so very bad I shouted while bolting across the street."

"What is it Don," Leo asked catching up to my frantic sprint.

Turning around to face my brother, I couldn't hide the trembling in my voice. "Either he is taking the fastest elevator known to man or-."

The sound of a body hitting the ground from such a height it something that I hoped I would never have to hear as long as I walked the earth. What made it even more painful was the fact that the body that struck the ground with such force was my brother's. I could hear the hollowed clatter and the sickening scrapping sounds as his shell made contact with the cement in the ally way and slid from the force of the fall. Before I could even register what exactly was happening my other two brothers bolted across the street, shouting at me to hurry up. Robotically, I crammed the tracking device inside of my bag and made a blind run to the scene of the fall.

It was not as bad as I have envisioned, but it was still pretty bad.

I could tell that his shell sustained most of the damage, so the chance of his internal organs being damaged was slim to none. Dropping down to my knees I systematically began looking my brother over taking mental notes of possible injuries he could have sustained. I immediately noticed that his right arm was broken, while his left should was dislocated. A deep and long bruise was forming on his right leg, while his left leg from the knee down was missing a lot of skin. His mouth was bloody, and a light trail of blood trickled down from his head. I fear that his skull maybe fractured due to its unevenness near his right temple. He was unconscious which wasn't completely unusual given the severity of his plummet.

"How bad is he Don," Leo asked his voice wavering a bit, "is he…?"

Turning around to face Leo I shook my head, "no he isn't, but he is critical condition, we got to get him back to the lair now. Find something flat like a board of some sort that we can put him on so we don't move him a lot.

Leo silently nodded and slipped away, searching the ally frantically for something, anything that we could use to move our brother. Looking at Raph, I could tell that he was conflicted as to what he should do. "Raph," I spoke gently yet firm at the same time, "it will take too long for the battle shell to get here, do you think…?"

"I'm on it," he responded before I could finish my question, "any particular make or model?"

"Just try not to go for something to flashy okay?"

All I got was a snort in response.

Moments after Raphael disappeared onto the main road, Leo came back with a pretty impressive plank of wood. "That's perfect Leo, now drop it on the ground next to him. I am going to need your help to slide it under him."

We worked in silence. Both of us focused intently on transferring our broken brother to the sturdy surface, while at the same time trying to move him as little as possible. His face had pain etched all over it, and I was glad that he was not conscious to endure it. As I gently secured his head in neck, my mind became alive. So many questions were running through my head. What was Mikey doing up on the roof of this old run down building and how exactly did he fall off?

"Don, look."

My attention was diverted away from tightening the last band around Mikey's head to Leo gently rubbing the now inflamed and mangled right arm of my brother. My eyes met his, taking in the cool and steely disposition they held as we silently communicated what had to be done. We both knew from past even and our own previous injuries that the longer we let it sit broken, the more force will be needed in the future to correct it.

"We may as well do it now while he is unconscious, Leo."

"Right," he added grabbing a hold of Mikey's hand. Setting my bag gently on the cold ground I dug for a splint and bandages. As I was looking for a clip to keep the bandages secured, I cringed at the angry sound of muscle being forced and cracking as bones were fighting against being aligned. When I head the pop of bones and muscles falling into their rightful position and the satisfied grunt of my brother, I made my way back over to Mikey, bandaging his arm while Leo held it into position. We silently worked, setting the rest of his joints while we waited for Raph to join us with a hopefully stealthy vehicle.

"What are you going to do about his leg Donny?"

"Dousing it in alcohol is just going to have to suffice for now, we are out of bandages."

The roar from an engine filled the air like the growl from a hungry predator closing in on its meal. Brakes screeched and tires howled as they sailed across the empty streets. Bright lights illuminated the empty alleyway and I instinctually covered my eyes from their assault.

Red, my brother just had to choose a crimson red muscle car. Its detailed body and flawless paint job glistened like a puddle of blood under the pale milky glow of moonlight. The dark tinted windows and chrome wheels told me that whoever was the owner of this vehicle was either an avid car enthusiast, or a person who was overcompensating for something. When Raph opened the door, Leo and I shared annoyed sighs.

He would pick a car that had suicide doors.

"Guys, look at this totally awesome whip I boosted," Raph added while smirking and walking over to us.

"What happened to finding a stealthy vehicle Raphael?" Leo snapped cutting his eyes at our often-insubordinate brother.

Raph just shrugged his shoulders in response. Looking down, he stared into the face of our youngest brother lying immobilized on a piece of wood. "He ready yet?"

I nodded. Standing up, I motioned for Raph to grab the foot of the board while Leo grabbed the head. We carefully inched our way to the extravagant vehicle as if we were walking on eggshells. Slowly, Leo began lowering the head of the plank inside the car while I guided him through the other window. When the first half of the board was in carefully, Leo took the foot of the board from Raph and our red clad brother quietly slipped into the back seat. Carefully as if handling an explosive bomb, Leo placed the remaining sections of the board down across of Raphael's lap.

Shutting the back door, Leo peaked across the hood of the car and curtly stated that he was driving, which was fine by me. My hands needed to be free in case Mikey's seemingly stable condition decided to take a turn for the worse. Wordlessly, we slipped into the car, and Leo turned the keys inside of the ignition. Cringing as the belly of the beast growled once again, he gently slipped out of the alleyway and onto the quiet streets of New York. We rode in silence, I would systematically look in the back seat to see how our brother was doing, there was never a change, he looked almost peaceful. As we avoided major roads, and busy streets, Leo safely got us to the garage that would lead us to the sewers in record time.

Killing the engine, I sent Leo ahead of Raph and I to prepare the bed of the medical ward because it was to be expecting a new guest. Wordlessly he obeyed. It was a little trickier getting Mikey out of the back seat as opposed to putting him in, but after a few moments, Raph and I finally figured it out.

Carefully as if moving a glass figurine, we were able to transport our battered brother down the elevator, across the lair, and into the medical room where a set of crisp white sheets were waiting anxiously for us on top of the bed.

As soon as we he was on the bed, my body automatically began to work on fixing what was broken. I got him hooked up to IV's, wrapped the opened wound on his leg, and cleaned his body from random patched of dried blood and garbage. My brothers sat in the background mumbling amongst them while my nimble fingers flew expertly through all of the work that I needed to accomplish.

I was able to catch the tail end of their conversations. I could tell that Leo was already blaming himself, and Raphael was trying to alleviate his inner turmoil to the best of his ability.

"This isn't your fault dude, so you can just wipe that look off your face."

"What," I heard Leo question, I could see him cocking his head to the side in my mind's eye.

"You heard me, this isn't your fault, and so you can stop this whole pity party of yours and stop putting the blame for this on top of your own shoulders."

Then I saw it.

It was only brief, very brief but I saw a rare chink in Raph's armor. It was so small, and someone would have to have known Raphael for years to notice it, but I saw his eyes shimmer with the rare expression or sorrow.

Leo's instincts must have taken over because out of nowhere, he pulled Raphael into a firm hug. Raph struggled at first, but slowly relaxed into the hug.

Clearing my throat, I slowly walked over to by two brothers and placed my hands on both of their shoulders.

"He will be okay you know, its Mikey were talking about, he is too stubborn to give up".

With my last statement, both Raph and Leo let out a slow chuckle and pulled away while looking long and steadily into my eyes.

"I hope your right Don," Raph spoke slowly and sadly, "I hope your right", and with that he quietly left to room to go somewhere only he knew.

Turning to Leo, I asked if he was okay, to which he only responded with a smile.

I already knew that he was beating himself up over this. A soft beep erupted from my computer and I quickly made my way towards it, typing feverishly while taking in the information it was providing me.

"Is everything alright Donny," Leo asked while moving behind me.

It took me forever to answer him, something that he has grown accustomed to over the years when something had my attention.

"We'll all the scans show that there are no internal injuries other than a couple of bruised ribs, his broken arm, and his scrapped leg. His skull has a slight fracture on it, but it is hairline so I think he shall be okay with lots of rest" I replied, my voice dripping with relief and hope.

"He is going to be," and with that last statement, he quickly hugged me, congratulating me on a job well done.

"Let's go get Raphael so we can explain to Master Splinter what had happened tonight, I am sure he knows something is up."

"You know big bro, I am starting to get the feeling that Master Splinter knows everything," I added in a matter-of-factly tone a big smile washing over his face erasing all signs of worry.

"You know, I think you may be right," he added laughing, "come on, let's go find Mr. Moody".

Allowing me to lead the way I stole one last glance at Michelangelo before heading out of the room. Before the door closed, I heard him whisper, "I will never fail you again baby brother, never again", and with that, he silently closed the door.

Now it is time to face the hardest obstacle in our life, our father.


	4. The Search

**Psychosis**

_Chapter Four: __The Search_

I do not own the Ninja Turtles

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><p>"Dude, little dude, come on, I know you're here somewhere!"<p>

Shouting into the dense forest, my plea was met again by the silent melody of leaves rustling in the wind and birds singing their tunes. It has been almost a week since I jumped off that building in hot pursuit of the teen. Three sunsets and sunrises since that portal swallowed me up, spitting me into this unknown realm. Sighing, I continued walking forward, scanning my surroundings for anything that could be suspicious.

There was nothing; this forest was the picture of perfection.

The sun's rays penetrated the thick branches of the trees just enough to provide a comforting light, but not too much as to make it hot. Everywhere I looked was overtaken by lush greenery, which was breathtaking in comparison to the cement jungles of New York. Flowers, plants and animals gave the mysterious green canvas life and color.

"Come on, dude. I just want your help. I want to get back home!"

Silence.

Man, this was starting to suck. My feet were hurting, I was tired, and worse of all; I was hungry. I can't believe I survived three days without a decent meal! I have eaten everything from roots, leaves, and some mystery thing that resulted in some serious bathroom problems. The worst however, was the moss. Not only was it disgusting, it smelled like Raph's feet after an intense sparring session. Looks like I will never take any survival advice from Man vs. Wild ever again.

Thinking about food, even if it was nasty food, made my stomach quiver with hunger.

Well, I guess now is a more appropriate time to eat than ever.

Sitting down on a nearby rock, I let my body relax while I fished out some berries from a makeshift leaf bag I created. Popping one of the bright red spheres into my mouth, I grimaced at its bittersweet flavor. The small fruit that I found wasn't bad, but don't get me wrong, it wasn't a deep dish pizza with extra cheese either. For now, it was the only thing that I could stomach and that was good enough for me.

While sitting on the smoothed rock thinking about the deep dish pizzas I left behind, I started to feel homesick. My mind drifted to my father, brothers, and friends. Did they miss me? Were they looking for me? I didn't exactly leave on good terms.

I could still see the three forms of my brothers surrounding me as I pathetically sat on the floor; their features and voices all held a slight air of accusation. Maybe I did play a lot of video games and maybe I wasn't sleeping as much as I should have, but the world of Kingdom Hearts needed me, heck how could I expect Goofy to defeat the Heartless with just that wimpy shield!

Looking around at my surroundings, I suddenly felt a wave of guilt and accountability.

"Who am I kidding," I sighed while staring down at my feet, a red berry plummeted to the ground, "My brothers were right. This is my fault. If I wasn't up all night playing video games I wouldn't have been having these headaches and I would have been alert enough not to run and jump off a building in hot pursuit of some random kid into the middle of nowhere."

Dropping my head into my hands, I ignored the wet, sogginess of berries being crushed as the weight of my head flattened them out. Thick, wet liquid seeped through my fingers and ran down my arms,landing randomly on the rest of me and the lush grass below. I sat motionless as the semi sweet, sticky liquid began drying in the air, attracting a dense wave of ravenous insects in search for an easy meal.

I was too bummed to care.

Buzzing filled my ears and insects brushed against my face and nostrils. The flying creatures coated my exposed sticky flesh and for the first time since I fell into this forest, I felt a little hopeless.

How long will I be here and would I ever find that teenager?

As I sat on that rock, sulking and being eaten alive by hungry little pests, a deep rumble erupted above me. Slowly, I dropped my hands from my face and I hesitantly looked to the sky.

Dark, ominous gray clouds were slowly inching their way to the clearing.

The heavy grey nebulas were greedily creeping towards the exposed sun as if it was a meal for their rapidly growing hunger. A low rumble was building up in the chest of the billowy beast, growing louder and stronger after each passing second. Whether it was some sign of my impending fate or not, I watched helplessly as the last glimmer of sunlight was devoured. As if the sky was filling the same overwhelming sadness and hopelessness and I was, tiny trickles of rain drops began falling, crashing into the fertile lands like tears from heaven. They were slow at first and I let them hit a few moments however, they quickly began picking up speed and volume and I knew then and there that it was time to find shelter.

Standing up stiffly, I squinted my eyes, trying desperately to seek out something I could use for temporary shelter from the unforgiving rain. Raising my hands to my brows to prevent the quickly pouring rain from entering my vision, I fought to see through the blankets of heavy raindrops that were falling from the sky. As my eyes scanned the sopping wilderness, they landed on a rocky formation about a quarter mile away that unmistakably looked like a cave.

Looks like that will have to do for now.

Swiftly, I gathered up my few meager possessions. Clenching them to my chest, I silently raced away to the rocky structure that will serve as my temporary home till the storm passes. As I ran, the grass transformed. It went from being slightly wet to extremely swampy, and every footfall of mine was swallowed up by the earth only to be yanked and replaced rhythmically in and out of the mouth of the soppy forest. As the cave drew nearer, a small part of me felt as though I have seen this particular structure before. I quickly shook off the feeling, letting it roll off my shell like a steady wave of raindrops. Rocky formations had the habit of looking like other rocky formations.

When the caves opening was in my sights, I slowed my steps. The loud wet sucking noises of my feet making contact with the grass filled the air. Entering the cave, I was relieved to feel solid ground. The earth's loose soil ceased pulling me down to the cold and murky depth below. The rain no longer fell on my body like a wave of liquid bullets, and the chaotic sound was now behind me. Walking further into my temporary hideout, I found a spot a sunk to the floor.

Pulling my knees to my chest, I shivered as the cool damp breeze of the cave tickled my moist and tender skin with icy and delicate gangly fingers. This was not the place I wanted to be, and I knew that I had to leave it somehow. Moving my legs to an outstretched position, I began noticing just how wet I actually was. Sliding a finger up to my face to wipe away stray water droplets, I stopped at my mask; it was drenched. Carefully, I slid it off of my face, as well as my other damp items and placed them on a nearby rock at my side. I didn't need anything else adding to the cold.

After a moment of sulking and feeling totally helpless in my bleak situation, I decided to try and make the best of my situation. The constant crash of skywater connecting with the lush yet thirsty terrain was showing no signs of letting up anytime soon.

"Well Mikey old boy, it looks like you're stuck in a rut...er cave...for a while," I whispered out into the dim cavern I was currently staying in, "I guess I should take a look around to get familiar with my new pad."

Standing up slowly, I quickly stretched out my legs and began walking further into the cave. The rocky ceiling of the cavern was rather low hanging, and I was able to touch its roof with a flattened hand without having to strain too much. Loose boulders stood still like hibernating animals along its seemingly endless sides, and as I progressed further, I smiled at how soft the earth was beneath my feet. Running a tender hand across the grainy surface of the wall, I suddenly stopped as something so familiar, yet so foreign and out of place at the same time caught my eye.

Artwork. Various aged drawings, paintings, chalkart, and charcol figures covered the wall like a long forgotton secret mural. The light was too dim, so I could not see the images clearly, but from what I could see, they were made by the hands of a child. The lines were rough and heavy handed, the shading was unevern, and colors were used gernously, but other than that, the works of art were impressive. Whomever this child was, he or she had a creative and active mind. Reaching out a curious hand, I placed it on the outline of a heart which I could vaguley make out.

There was love here, why else would such a shape be drawn. This cave served as a form of refuge for whomever used its walls to portray their feelings, hopes, desires, and innermost thoughts. Perhaps it used to belong to that troubled teen when he was a child and in a different place in his life that has long been forgotten.

Sliding down the wall that was immediately facing the bulk of the artwork, I smiled at the familiar. I have been in this unknown world for who knows how long and the unfamiliartiy was begining to drive me crazy. These new sights, sounds, smells, and sensations were so different, but this artwork offered me something familiar and recognizable. Feeling my eyelids begining to fall due to exhaustion, I slowly began moving to my side. Rest was important, and I needed every ounce of energy if I were going to continue my search for that young dude. Just before I feel asleep, I glanced back at the heart that was painted on the wall. hugging my knees to my chest, I fell asleep.

No one was going to harm me here.


	5. Downtime

**Psychosis**

Chapter 5: _Downtime_

Disclaimer: I do not own or have any rights to the Ninja Turtle franchise.

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><p>"Five days, it's been five days!" I shouted at my brightly lit computer monitor as I poured over the mounds and mounds of data that my machines were gathering. They were all telling me the same thing, yet the present circumstances were still perplexing.<p>

Slamming my fist down on my cool metal table, I spun around in my office chair giving myself enough room to stand and view the unconscious form in the adjacent bed. "Why won't you wake up?" I breathed out heavily as placed a heavy hand over my eyes, "the wounds you sustained were severe, but not enough to keep you unconscious for this long, at least one would think."

Sighing, I sat down with my face in my hands, my exhaustion finally catching up with me. I was used to staying up for multiple nights in a row researching problems and topics of interest that did not provide easy solutions. Matters such as our safety, health, and security were constantly on the forefront, and I was allotted the gift to aide my family in ways that even I do not fully understand. However, an injured family member made the situation even more stressful. Our lack of access to modern day medical machines and supplies was always a difficult obstacle to overcome and it required many thoughtful hours of how to creatively maneuver around the barriers.

"Come on Mikey, wake up, we need you. Things have been getting a little out of hand since you had your near death experience. Leo is blaming this whole ordeal on himself, and has been training in the dojo constantly. Raph, well believe it or not, Raph's emotions have been even more erratic!"

Standing up, and stretching my stiff muscles I silently watched the gentle rise and fall of my injured brother's chest.

Heaving a sigh, my eyes wandered around the small dimly lit room. The room was slightly cluttered with various types of knick-knacks and keepsakes. Even though the room was designated at the medical ward, there was a slight "homey" feeling to. As my eyes bounced from one object to the next, what seemed to be a family photo fell into my field of over to the picture, I picked up the light wooden frame and brought it closer to my face. Smiling slightly, I closed my eyes as I relieved the memory. The picture was taken by our friend April O'neil at Master Splinter's birthday party. A giant cake with Splinter sitting behind it was the focal point of the image. To the right guiltily stood Mikey, with frosting all over his hands because he had already snuck a small piece of cake. I was to the left of our master, lighting the candles with a look of extreme concentration on my face, while Raph and Leo were in the background in what could only be a heated debate. As I stared at the image, Master Splinter slowly became the only one I could focus on, and the familiar feeling of guilt painfully knotted my stomach.

Breaking the news to our father was the hardest, I thought to myself as I placed the image back in its original location. While we were retelling the events of that night in his presence, I remember his face being filled with so many indescribable emotions. I've never felt so much shame or regret in my life. I know that Leo took the lecture the hardest. He tends to do that. He often forgets that we are all equally responsible, and that we all have to carry this baggage on our hearts.

Tearing myself away from the memory of our father solemnly retreating back to his quarters to meditate, I slowly walked back to my lab chair, and pulled it closer to the resting form of my brother. Sitting down on the worn fabric, I winced as the chair made a painful screech that seemed to echo off of every wall in the lair. As I stared down at his resting face, my mind began to run through every possibility of what could have happened to our brother.

Maybe his headaches were something more, however, when I scanned his head, nothing appeared on the scanner. Then again, he was probably burning himself out for the past few months I thought silently to myself. There is no telling what Mikey does during the hours he is supposed to be asleep. I mean, with his game systems and comic books, there's no telling how long hes been consecutively staying up. Shaking my head at the thought of what my younger brother did in his spare time, I reached under the bed and grabbed a box that contained fresh bandages. Grabbing his arm that was closest to me, I gently began unwrapping the soiled bandages. Grimacing at the deep gashes and discolored flesh, I lightly dampened a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol, and carefully sterilized the angry flesh. After I was satisfied, I carefully redressed his arm.

Glancing at the rest of his wounds, I sighed. He is quite lucky I thought wordlessly to myself while grimacing at a rather nasty wound on his leg, these injuries could have been worse.

When everything was taken care of, I briskly walked over to the spare bed that was in the far corner of the ward and allowed myself to collapse on the soft yet worn mattress.

When was the last time I slept? I sleepily asked myself as my eyes wandered to the wastebasket that was overflowing with coffee cups and remnants of various pieces of food.

"It's been too long" I breathlessly breathed out while stroking the soft fabric of the gently used sheet.

Rolling over to my back, I Glanced up at the ceiling. I allowed my mind to drift over various topics; experiments that I needed to work on, techniques that I needed to work on, various items in dire need of repair, and my family.

Raph and Leo feel like this whole ordeal with Mikey was there fault, but I feel like I am also to blame. I am the self-proclaimed medic in the family; I should have noticed the signs of his waning health sooner. He showed all of the classic signs of exhaustion that night, and I never should have allowed him to leave the sewers. However, the thought of not being the slowest turtle on the nightly runs was too palatable, even for me, and I pushed all concern and caution to the deepest regions of my thoughts.

Nevertheless, I did nothing. I was too wrapped up in my own self-interest to care. Sometimes I really hate being a genius because it causes me to put things outside of my current interest on the backburner.

Rolling over to my side so I could have a better view of Mikey, I felt disappointment in myself. Hot acidic regret thickly coated the back of my throat, something I only feel when I do not achieve a task to my full potential.

"I never meant to ignore you Mikey, now that I sit here and think about it, there were obvious warning signs and 'cries' for help," I whispered into the still air. I felt as if I was trying to convince myself more than my brother.

Hold on...

Feeling my brain become active with recent data, I restlessly moved to a sitting position so I could further ponder the new matter that was presented to me.

I was so blind. His sensitivity to light, sound, movement, the nonstop naps, and even his depletion in energy were so obvious…how could I have missed them?

"I should have pulled you aside and talked to you about these headaches, maybe I could have giving you medicine before the gotten out of hand" I quietly spoke aloud to myself.

Staring out into space again, I ultimately decided that I was not utilizing my time to its full potential, and suddenly made the decision to go to my lab to work on Mikey's 'Game Dude'. He had been bugging me to fix that thing for I do not know how long. It still works perfectly fine, however, he did mention that there was some issue with the backlighting. It should be an easy fix, I thought to myself as excitement and pride being welling in my chest. 'sides, it will be an excellent surprise for him once he regains consciousness.

Jumping out of the bed with stored energy, I did not even know I had, I briskly walked out of the medical ward and began making my way to my lab when Leo stopped me.

That is funny; Leo actually is taking a break from his excessive and often unnecessary training?

"Hey Leonardo, what's up?" I asked in a cautiously questioning tone.

Staring at his emotionless face, I found it very uncomfortable how I could not pinpoint what he was feeling. He was a master of the 'pokerface', and he sure wielded it whenever he felt it was necessary.

Curse that ninja training I thought bitterly to myself as I attempted to step around Leo, only to have him cut back in front of me again.

"Is there anything I can help you with", I asked a bit irritated; I had no time for his mind games, I had a game to fix afterall.

We stared at each other for what seemed like hours.

You know, if I did not know any better, I would think Leo has a staring problem. I should ask him about it when I have time. It would be an interesting case study.

"Don" Leo finally spoke carefully, as if testing out how each letter sounded, "Where are you going, and when was the last time you slept?"

Why couldn't you have just asked that in the first place instead of being a total creep?

"I am going to my lab to fix Mikey's 'Game Dude'", I quickly replied straightening up, "I thought it would be an excellent gift for when he came to."

Nodding as if he agreed, I tried sidestepping him again to have him get into my path.

"Donny" Leo spoke rather carefully again.

"Yes Leonardo" I replied, my annoyance clearly showing.

"You still didn't answer the second question. I asked, when was the last time you slept?"

Oh man, Mr. Nosy will not let me within five feet of my lab if he knows I have not slept since Michelangelo's accident. He tends to get uptight when one of us neglects normal bodily functions such as sleeping or eating. Its weird though, I feel as if the human race is rather advanced. Something should have been created to make something so useless as sleep obsolete. Just think about all of the endless possibilities and worlds of accomplishments people could make with that eight extra hours added to their days. I guess it will be up to me to one day lend my brethren a hand and create something that does just that.

"I slept last night", I responded in a slightly shaky voice.

Curse my inability to lie. I am not sure whether that is a good thing or a bad thing.

"Donny, I know you're lying" Leo replied in a slightly dampened voice.

Sighing, I met his gaze only to be shocked that it was filled with concern. Darn it.

"Look Leo, I'm fine, really, just let m-"

"No Don" Leo cut me off, "look, I am worried about him too, but running on fumes and coffee is not going to help the situation any. We need you at one hundred percent Donatello."

"Leo please" I pleaded, "let me fix his game, and I promise you that I will go to sleep"

"How about this, you sleep, and then you can fix his game."

Leo, sometimes you just make me want to kick you, I thought to myself as I definitely started at him. I was going to give him such a tongue lashing about some of his unhealthy habits that he wasn't going to know what hit him

It was not until I saw his face flicker into one of sadness did I back down.

"Please Donny, please just rest, I'll keep an eye on Mikey", Leo replied solemnly, "and I promise I will wake you up if anything happens."

Sighing in defeat, I grumbled a yes and turned on my heels, heading upstairs to my room.

Sometimes I really hate his big brother instincts to protect his sibling.

When I reached my room and fell on my bed, I was surprised by how tired I actually was. My body felt like it weighed a ton, but I knew that was an impossibility. My eyes shut automatically, and not even crowbars could pry the weighted lids open. Yawning while pulling the cover over my slightly chilled body, I could not help but let a small smile cross my exhausted lips.

Yet, I love his instincts at the same time...

Falling asleep had never felt so good.

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><p>Here is another chapter of the <em>Psychosis<em> rewrite. I can't wait till I am caught up! I applaud everyone who has stayed with this story thus far, there have been many changes and improvements to the original story. Please Read and Review if you have the time. Constructive Criticism is also welcomed.

-Peace


	6. Assent

**Psychosis**

Chapter Six: _Assent_

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles**

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><p>Have you ever had one of those moments where you wake up and have no clue where the hell you are? It kinda sucks doesn't it? Don't act like its never happened to you because really, it happens to the best of us. Trust me, I should know because I <em>am<em> the best of them. Anyways, backing up to my main point, I woke up not knowing where the heck I fell asleep. I was dreaming about my nice soft bed and homey room filled with everything that make my room _my_ room when suddenly I woke up. Now, normally, I would be staring at my large collection of comic books, but today, I was staring at some rocky wall covered in mediocre chalk drawings. In place of a nice soft bed, I was laying on a cold and soggy dirt floor. Now, I would be a liar if I said I didn't utter a screech of some sort. I did, and I am not ashamed. It took me a few minutes to remember my current situation and how I ended up where I ended up.

I can sum it up in twelve words: Run. Creepy kid. Building. Jump. Weird Forest. Rain. Cave night. Cave day.

Sighing, I stretched and was alarmed by how stiff my muscles were. My arm and leg were both killing me, and for some reason, my head felt like a load of bricks. I guess that is to be expected if you sleep on the hard ground. Its not known for its memory foam softness, thats for sure.

Pushing myself to my sore rump, I extended my legs in an attempt to deepen my stretch. As my head lowered, a drawing on the wall caught my eyes causing me to absentmindedly frantically crawl towards it.

"Shut up, no way!" I shouted at the drawing. My voice echoed off the walls of the dim cave, and soon it sounded as if I was in a conversation with myself and my exclamations widened in distance.

My eyes were wide with shock, and I had to force myself to blink because I was afraid that they would eventually dry out. I heard that can happen, y'know.

On the wall, amongst all the random scribbles customary to young children was a crude childlike drawing of a turtle. Not just your typical turtle, but an upright turtle in a karate pose wielding a weapon in one of its hands. Its other hand was being held by what appeared to be a drawing of a small boy.

Both were standing in awkward karate poses, both held a weapon of some sort, and both were crudely drawn and disproportionate. They both were encircled in the largely drawn red heart that I saw last night.

As I studied the drawing, the line strokes and shading began to feel faintly familiar, and I couldn't help but feel a slight comfort in the familiarity. Extending a gentle finger towards the turtle, I carefully stroked the grainy image.

My face scrunched in confusion as I fell back to my sore butt. How could this be? Was this world filled with turtles like my brothers who roamed around and freely interacted with the human population? How is this possible, and who is that kid his or her hand was holding? As I examined the image closer, I noticed that under each figure, names were carefully carved into the stone. Squinting my eyes, a shakingly made out each harsh letter, and my stomach lurched.

Under the boy, the name Sven with a backwards "S" was visible, and under the turtle, the very familiar upright turtle ninja-esque turtle was the name Mikey with a small and faint orange outline around each letter.

Shit was getting creepy.

With all of the questions swimming around in my brain, I knew I had to find that boy so he could explain all of this to me. This must be just some creepy coincidence that I stumbled upon. Maybe it is like that show, Teen Titans where Beast Boy gets captured instead of the alien's actual dog, only I am Beast Boy in this scenario.

Standing up, with some great difficulty, I slowly gathered my dry gear and slipped them onto my body. Pausing, I quietly studied the gold pocket watch. The shimmering case caught some light that poured in from the entrance of the cave, and I was able to see just how haggard I looked. Sighing, I shoved it into my belt. Limping my way out of the cave I cradled my annoyingly sore arm as and continued my search. Looking back over my shoulder, I couldn't help but shudder as the creepy cave began to disappear in the distance. I had a bad feeling about that place, and I am not sure why or how. All I knew was that I need to get out of here in order to find my brothers. They would know what to do.

They always do.

I was walking for who knows how long. It is easy to keep going when you're lost in your thoughts you know. Hours feel like minutes, and quite frankly, I was not even actively searching anymore. I was hoping that my feet would know where to take me. There guess was as good as mine.

As I walked, the change in sensation below be tore me away from my daze. No longer was I walking on the lush, soft, and damp ground of the forest. Looking around, I gasped at the change of scenery. The forest was replaced by some sort of arid mountainous range similar to one in my World of Warcraft game. The trees of the forest were so far behind me, and I was completely shocked by my lack of awareness.

I mean, I may not be the most observant, but even I know the difference between the Hundred Acre Woods, and Weird Rocky Moutain of Weirdness.

As I looked around, a cliffs rim filled my line of vision, and I was stoked that I came to my senses before I toppled over it. That would have been an crappy ending. Inching my way towards the cliff edge, I wanted to gage how far up I was. Peaking over the edge, I was shocked to see that there was a city in the distance below.

Maybe that is where that little creep ran off to. Maybe that place has all of the answers to my questions, and can explain the things that I saw. Maybe that is my ticket home.

Looking around for some sort of trail, or path, or anything, I began to feel that all too familiar falling feeling. You know, the one where it feels as if your stomach is inching its way into your chest. Falling to my knees, I screamed at the sudden sensation of weightlessness. My body and essence felt like they were two separate entities on the same plane of existence, and it would have been totally wicked if it wasn't happening to me. Laying down on the ground, I held on for dear life. I wanted to stay in the moment. I did not want to fall off the edge of the world, which is exactly how I was feeling. Digging my fingers into the rocky earth, I held onto the surface below me as if my life depended on it.

My mind was felt faint, and my thoughts were muddled. Cold streams of tears poured down my face. Everything felt like it was on fire. Red wounds were tearing open, contrasting greatly against my green flesh. My lips were cut, my hands bruised, my arms and legs scabbed and bloodied. This pain was unreal and I so desperately wanted it to end. Rolling onto my shell, I yelled at the sky. I wanted help, any sort of help. Blinding amber lights filled my vision and the toothpaste tube feeling that I felt when I jumped off of the building after that boy slowly wrapped me in a lovely suspension of gold. I was being sucked into the sky, into the light towards a place where I did not know what to expect.

Into the calm realm of stillness and nonexistence.

If this was death, I welcomed it...

It was better than the pain I felt alone, on that cold hard ground.

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><p>(AN): Here is another chapter that I rewrote. Wow, I guess I am in the writing mood. Hopefully I can be caught up by the end of this year? Who knows, lol! Well as always, please _read_ and _review. Constructive criticism _is always welcomed. Thank you!

-**Peace**


	7. Comeback

**Psychosis**

Chapter Seven: _Comeback_

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

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><p>"They're stupid, they all are a bunch of Class A stupid idiots," I snarled into the damp air of the sewer tunnel I was hiding out in as I threw another glass bottle at the cobbled walls. The breaking noises of shattering glass always calmed me down and I was well into the double digits.<p>

What can I say, breaking these bottles was more "beneficial" than smashing peoples heads in.

"Stupid me for just being me," I slurred out as I walked backwards from the wall.

"Stupid Donny for not sleeping," I grumbled as I grabbed a bottle from the dwindling pile.

"Stupid Splinter with that stupid disappointed look of his," I shouted as I threw another bottle at the wall.

Falling to my knees, I fought to hold back the burning sensation that was building up in the backs of my eyes. Balling up my fist, I shut my eyes and began pounding away at the floor below me.

"Stupid Leo for blaming this whole ordeal on himself. Stupid Leo for bearing the burden of Master's disappointment. Stupid Leo for being a fuckin' idiot!" I shouted as I collapsed face first into the grimy stony surface. The burning sensation was back in my eyes, and I did nothing to stop it. Tears fell from my eyes in thick waves, and I could honestly care less. My brothers were nowhere in sight I thought as the tears fell faster.

"This whole situation is fucked," I whispered into the darkness. Mikey has been out for days, and Donny is not sure why he won't wake the hell up. The whole accident was a mistake, and it never should've happened. Seeing Mikey take a nose dive off that building is something that I can never forget. The sickening sound his body made as it collided with the ground , the puddles of blood, and the fear surrounding the whole situation were still fresh in my memory.

I can't even keep the stinkin' sick whip that I boosted. Leo is giving me till the end of the month to return the car.

What made matters worse was the conversation with Splinter. I know the old rat didn't mean to make us feel bad, but he managed to make us feel even more like low-life pieces of shit scumbags, and I honestly didn't think that was possible. The hardest part about that conversation, was the look on Leo's face afterwards. He looked just as old as our father, and he sulked away reeking of immense guilt. The fact that he takes on all of the worlds problems really bothers me about that guy.

Laying in silence on the cold musty ground, a grumble from my stomach tore me away from my thoughts. It had been a while since I ate, and I think hunger was beginning to take its tole on my body. Standing up, I weighed my options. I could either go home and face everything, or sit here in the dark and continue to be hungry.

Obviously with slight protest, I chose the former, and I began to stalk slowly in the direction of home. If anyone gave me trouble, I would show them a thing or two.

As I arrived to the lair, I sighed in relief that no one was around to bother me. Leo was probably off training somewhere, and Donatello was probably in the medical ward. Splinter was in some deep meditation session, so the common area of the home was free range. Smirking, I walked to the kitchen and fixed myself something to eat.

I was fucking starving after all.

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><p>I have no idea how long I was suspended in weightless bliss surrounded by soft amber light. In case anyone hasn't noticed, time and space are two concepts that have not been making much sense to me lately. However, I do remember what it was like to be dropped out of that wonderful place like yesterdays trash and boy I must have smelled because It felt as if I was in a truck that collided with a wall and everything abruptly stopped heavily. Pain was real now, and it came back with vengeance.<p>

The Vengeance of Pain. Actually that would make a great movie title, I will revisit that later.

Turning my neck, I groaned in agony. Everything hurt. I couldn't even twitch my face muscles let alone open my eyes without sharp waves of white hot pain shooting through my body. Relaxing, I took in a labored deep inhale. From the smell and sounds, I knew that I was no longer in that world, and a wave of relief filled my body.

Where the heck am I? I thought to myself as I attempted to relaxing my aching body. Was I transported to another world again?

Maybe I am back at home in New York I thought hopefully.

Letting my thoughts get in order, I let the images of patrolling with my brothers and voyaging in that unknown world after that boy play through my mind. I felt that a lot has happened, and I was so far from the truth.

I feel as though I've been to hell and back a trillion times. Sheesh, some people have all the luck I guess.

Laying in silence, I came to the conclusion that I should try and open my eyes so I can actually see where I am. I groaned internally. I am so tired and sore.

Feeling myself slip back into the darkest recesses of my mind, I suddenly became somewhat alert, well as alert as I could be in my current condition when I heard a rustling noise.

A breath hitched in my throat. I listened intently as I waited for the noise to continue. Right now, I was hoping that noise was made by one of my brothers or a cute fluffy bunny with a plate of cookies, I am in no condition to fight of anything else.

Fighting the urge to sleep, I desperately tried with everything I could to maintain the little bit of consciousness that I had. It wasn't until I heard talking did I realize that something wasn't quite right.

"Mikey," said the voice, at this point, I couldn't tell whose or what, if anything at all, was speaking.

What.

"Mikey can you hear me?"

Duh, isn't it obvious? Well, I guess not. My eyes are still shut after all.

"Hey, come on, open your eyes, you have been out for too long."

No I grumbled internally, I want to keep them shut, it hurts less.

"I know you just want to keep them shut Mike, but you gotta open your eyes."

Woah, looks like someone is a mind reader I thought bitterly to myself.

"Come on Mikey, you have been out for so long, I am becoming worried."

Worried? Oh man, that is the last feeling that I want to cause someone. Using every ounce of strength in my reserve I fought through the blinding pain to open my weighted lids.

"Come on Mike, try and open your eyes."

I am trying, it is just too hard.

"Well try harder!"

I am, what does it look like I am doing.

"Don't give up you can do it your almost there!"

Groaning, I felt myself become more aware of my surroundings even though my eyes were still closed. I heard the familiar sounds. The hums and mechanical whirs of the various machines in the medical ward of our lair mixed with various other sounds that I was accustomed to. Rushing water from the pipes that surround our home, the distant blair of a train horn, the sound of the microwave dinging in the kitchen were all so familiar. The smell of damp stale air was recognizable and I felt my mouth relax into an awkward smile.

I don't know how I got here, but it sounds like home!

Being home brought me such a relief, and the pain that previously overtook my body began to dull down. I couldn't wait to see my brothers so they could help me make sense of this mess. Maybe I was here all along and I just dreamed the whole scenario of being in another world. It felt so real, but our minds, as Donny would say, have the power to play cruel tricks on us. Taking in a deep breath, letting all the smells and sounds of home empty my body, I held my breath. I didn't want to let this feeling go. It was only when my lungs screamed for air that I decided to release it.

Man, its sure great to be home, I thought to myself.

Slowly, began opening my eyes, only to be surprised by the clarity in my head.

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><p><strong>(AN)** Here is another chapter in the rewrite,and I hope you all are digging the story. I admit, so far, this chapter is my least favorite. There is something about it that does not sit well with me. Oh well. Please read and review. As always, Constructive criticism is welcomed.

-**Peace**


	8. Bewilderment

**Psychosis**

Chapter Eight: Bewilderment

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

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><p>So this is what it feels like to be home. Laying in silence, I took the comfort of my surroundings in.<p>

Wow, I thought to myself. My head does not feel nearly as heavy as it did a few minutes ago. Maybe opening my eyes did do the trick. Blinking my eyes to look around I felt a wave of relief at the familiarity of everything. The dimly lit room was the medical ward, and it was decorated with various objects that their family had collected over the years. Mixing a bit of home with the machines was Splinter's idea. He thought that it will make the room look more comfortable and less intimidating. Which was true, it made staying in the ward bearable for long periods of time.

Before I could even think, the pain from the rest of my body began to hit me. My limbs felt like meat on a hot grill, and my body felt as though it was stuffed with needles. Ouch, I inwardly sighed, something tells me that I am not going to like what I see. Glancing down, I noticed that my body was covered in bandages and there was a cast on my right arm. My left left was suspended in some sort of sling, and my shell has a clamp on it. I couldn't get a clear view of my whole body from this position, but from what I could tell, I must have looked like complete shit.

"Great" I choked out in a barely audible voice. I knew that I was going to be out of commission for weeks, maybe even months. I stared silently at the ceiling for who knows how long, unsure of what to do next when I heard the rustling noise, and the familiar voice again.

"You're awake now," said the unfamiliar voice, "I knew you could do it!"

The voice did not belong to any of my brothers, my father, or anyone that I knew, unless someone somehow got a radical voice change. It was somewhat higher, and the accent sounded a bit different. Looking around frantically, I didn't see anyone at first. While glancing around the room again, my eyes passed the spare bed only to shot back there in absolute disbelief.

Of all the crazy things that I had experienced over the past few days, this was by far the weirdest. Words could not explain the confusion I was feeling. Fear blocked my throat, and I tried desperately to swallow it down, but it felt like swallowing a boulder. This was not possible, it was so not possible. Feeling my breathing hitch up and perspiration gather on my forehead I couldn't help but to feel terror wash over my body.

I was trapped and defenseless. Cornered in a room with something that should have never been here. Do my brothers know about this. I couldn't help but to wonder if my brothers were aware about this situation or not.

"Hey, calm down will ya!"

How in the heck was I supposed to calm down? Sitting on the spare bed grinning in the corner of the ward, was the teenager that I saw on top of the building. The teenager that I followed when he jumped off the building. The teenager that I was searching for when I was trapped in the world. He was sitting there, happy as a clam, looking at me as if nothing was strange about his presence.

How the fuck was this happening?

Frantically as I struggled to futilely to move my limp and injured body. I didn't know whether I was trying to put as much distance between me and that boy, or go over there and wring his neck.

Crud, I thought silently, I can't even get my fingers or toes to twitch! Where is the chick from Kill Bill Volume One when you need her?

Taking a break from my useless efforts to move or make an audible sound, I glanced at the teenager who was still sitting on the spare bed with that same snarky grin on his face. Now that there was light, and I wasn't risking my life to save him, I could actually see what he looked like. He was of average height, with a very lean but strong build to him. He had the fairest skin that I have ever seen on a person, much like the moons reflection on a clear body of still water. Am I a master poet or what? His hair was a very light shade of blonde, only a few shades darker than his creamy skin.

The most prominent feature however, were his eyes.

His eyes were very large in comparison with the rest of his face and had a 'doe' like expression to them. They were blue, the same shade as my eyes, but held an icy haunted look to them. Wow, I thought while mentally rolling my eyes, I'm describing him as if he's some dreamy character in a romance novel. Come on Mikey, get it together dude!

Okay creep, what's with the staring? I spat mentally, this creepy jerk probably finds my struggling funny

"No, actually I do not", the teenager replied without losing his cocky smirk.

Okay this is so weird, he did it again! How does he know what I am thinking?

As I turned my head to face the teen, I initially wanted to give him a piece of my mind. I had a million questions to ask him, and I wanted to know the answers to them. However, when our eyes met, I couldn't help but feel a slightly calming feeling run throughout my entire body. The tranquil sensation quickly vanished once the boy moved off the bed, and silently sauntered his way towards me. His lanky limbs appeared to move to a rhythm that only he could hear. His grace and poise were remarkable.

No! Go back to the other side of the room dude and stay away from me!

Feebly, I desperately tried to put up some form of struggle, anything that would alert my brothers that I was awake and in potential danger. I felt my heart speed up, and my breathing come out in short irregular breaths. Suddenly, he stopped above me and stared at me with his piercing cold azure eyes.

"Hey," he spoke with soft authority, "calm down."

Calm down! I screamed internally as I continued my struggle for some sort of movement or sound, I don't even know you. You could be some crazy psycho turtle killer from a different dimension, and I am trapped in a room with you and completely helpless! We have enough of those already, just leave me alone.

"Dude," he spoke again a little more firmly, "I said calm down; I am not going to hurt you."

Stopping my strain, I gazed up at the teenager with questioning eyes. I guess if he wanted to hurt me, he would have done it by now or while I was out. He wouldn't have waited.

I hope your reading my mind now weirdo, I thought as I scrunched my eyebrows together, Okay dude, if you're not here to hurt me, then who the hell are you, how did you get here, and what do you want, ?

He stared down at me with that same cheshire grin and his creepily calming blue eyes for what seemed like forever. He never blinked, his face never twitched. He was so shockingly still.

Wow, this guy is just as good as Leo is when it comes to staring.

Maybe he can't read my mind afterall. People can't read other peoples, or turtles, minds. The guy probably just had a few lucky responses, like that lady on Long Island Medium.

Calming down a bit more, I took a deep breath in an attempt to slow down my rapid breathing.

I am probably just freaking myself out and over thinking things.

Closing my eyes, I instantly snapped them open at the sound of the kid laughing. Looking up, I noticed that he finally broke his gaze upon me and was shaking violently with unsung glee.

What the heck is so funny? I thought as I continued to stare at the teen in confusion.

"You", he replied still laughing, still clearly tickled pink.

Moi, what is so funny about me? Man, I really wish I could talk right now!

Straining again against the pain I was feeling throughout my entire body, I managed, with great effort, to make a slight grunting noise that succeeded in distracting the mysterious teenager from his laughing fit.

Great Mikey, the first sound you make was a pathetic grunt. It wasn't even a good solid grunt like the ones Raph can make. Kicking myself mentally, I got lost in my self pity until the sound of the teens voice got my attention.

"Sorry for laughing, man, it's just that your face gets all funny looking when you are trying to figure something out."

Funny looking when I try to figure- you jerk, so you can hear what I am thinking! I am going to need some answers. Who are you, and why did you try jumping off of that building? Why are you not hurt? Why are you in my home? Where are you from? What the heck is going on?

"Alright, alright, just calm down and give me a minute" he replied suddenly.

He quietly stood up, and smoothed out the shirt he was wearing. Walking to the other side of the bed, he gently turned my head to that our eyes were leveled. In a voice not much louder than a whisper, he introduced himself, and my world shattered.

"My name is Sven, and it's a pleasure to finally see you again, Mikey."

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><p><strong>(AN) **I hope you all are enjoying yourselves so far!


	9. I really am losing my mind!

**Psychosis**

Chapter 9: I really am losing my mind

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the turtles. I will now proceed to bang my head against the desk in disappointment. _*bang* *bang* *bang*_

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><p><strong>Let us take a moment to recap shall we!<strong>

"Bed. Now Donatello. Go"

Sighing and rolling my eyes, I turned around and started heading back to my room.

_This is one battle that's not worth fighting_, I thought to myself while yawning.

When I got to my room, and crawled back into my bed, my body felt one thousand pounds heavier. I guess I didn't realize how exhausted I really was. Stretching under my covers, I quickly ran through the events that took place over the past hour, and I smiled to myself while snuggling against my pillow.

I just knew this was going to be the best sleep that I have had in five days.

_Now that I know, Mikey will be okay…_

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><p><strong>Mikey's P.O.V.<strong>

…_Darkness…_

…_Silent, still, suspended darkness…_

"…_Mikey hurry up you're falling behind…"_

_A voice broke through the blackness. I recognized it as one of my brothers. Slowly light began to pour through, my world becoming more stable. _

"…_Yeah cheese ball…"_

_As the fog and the haze slowly lifted, I was able to make out a roof top. Everything was eerily silent and suspiciously still. Where I was looked exactly like New York, but at the same time it didn't as well. There were no cars rolling down the street, no horns blaring, no sirens roaring, no sounds coming from television displaying late night shows…_

…_There was nothing._

"_What's going on?" I questioned slowly, my words seeming to echo around the eerie metropolis. _

"_Aw quite ya gripin' and just get ready to jump so we can move on will ya"_

_Looking over to the opposite rooftop, where my brother was shouting, it seemed as if it was miles away. _

'_How they did get way over there?' I thought silently._

"_Yeah Mikey Jump"_

_Feeling a twinge of fear build up in the pit of my stomach as I gazed at the distance I had to cover, I looked back at my anxiously waiting brothers in disbelief. _

'_They honestly can't expect me to make that' I thought as I slowly began inching my way backwards in order to get a running start._

"_Jump" _

"_Jump"_

"_Jump"_

_My brothers shouted, chanting in unison. It seemed as if their voices were everywhere at once, surrounding me, choking me, I could not think straight. When I backed up to a distance that seemed appropriate to make it to the next building, I began running. My feet felt as if they were filled with cement, my legs felt like lead. My whole body felt as if it was underwater and I continued my fight to pick up some much needed speed. _

"_Hurry up and jump Mikey"_

_As I willed my limbs to keep moving, I began prepping my body for the task that was at hand. As I slowly inched towards the edge of the roof that I was going to use to kick off, I was able to get a good luck at my brothers for the first time._

"_Join us over here Mikey!"_

_Their expressions were twisted. They all shared the same hollowed eyed glare and sinister smiles. They were cackling madly, as they stood in a disorganized fashion watching me struggle. _

'_Why are they laughing at me' I thought as I continued to struggle._

"_Jump!"_

_When I reached the edge of the roof, I firmly planted and dug my foot into the cement. Kicking off, I positioned my body so I was able to get the most possible distance. Gradually, I began getting closer and closer to the building they were standing on and I prepped my limbs for landing._

_Suddenly, the atmosphere changed. Dark billowing clouds appeared out or nowhere and roaring thunder began filling my ears. The stillness was no more and the world was once again alive. My brothers began laughing sinistelyr again. A loud cracking sound pieced the air, followed by a rumbling drone. Looking around to find the source of the sound, my eyes landed the building that my three brothers occupied. As if life had been breathed into it, it began quickly moving away from me out of my reach. _

"_What's going on," I shouted at them as I desperately reached out trying to grab on to something, anything._

_As if by some miracle, my fingers grasped a wooden window pain, and I was hanging on desperately for my life. _

"_Guys, please help me," I shouted up to them, "I am not sure how long I will be able to hang on."_

_Rapidly, the earth began to vibrate and the building that I was clinging to begin swaying dangerously from side to side. Looking down, I saw a deep crack form within the street. It began growing wider and wider, splitting the earth in two and I saw the hot molten core emerge. _

'_Shell!' I thought to myself as I desperately tried to tighten my grip._

"_Bros please help me!"_

_No response…._

_They were gone…._

_As I felt my hand slipping, I desperately ran my feet along the side of the building in order to find some footing. _

_There was nothing._

"_Mikey!" Someone shouted from the rooftop._

_Hoping it was one of my brothers coming to rescue me, I looked up._

_To my surprise, I was not met with green skin shrouded in a blue, purple, or a red mask. Instead, I was met with smooth pale skin, snow white hair and piercing blue eyes._

"_Sven, what the…how…what the heck are you doing here?"_

_Leaning over the edge of the building, he carefully extended his arm out towards me._

"_There's no time to explain Mikey," he responded calmly, "grab my hand, I'll pull you up."_

'_Grab your hand, I hardly know you!' I nervously thought to myself. _

"_How can I trust you when I don't even know who you are Sven?" I shouted while tightening my grip as the building gave a sharp jerk. _

"_You do know who I am," Sven shouted back, his eyes narrowed and his voice showing hints of annoyance._

"_I-I do," I replied while staring up at him in wide-eyed confusion. _

_Slowly his look softened and he nodded. _

"_Mikey you do not have much time, take my hand!"_

"_Sven, I-I-I I don't know I mean I-"_

_All of a sudden, the sound of splintering wood pierced the air. _

"_Mikey!" Sven shouted as he desperately made a reach for me._

_The pane that I was holding onto broke, and I was sent falling into the hell that waited for me at the middle of the earth..._

...I awoke with a jolt….

My breathing hitched in my throat and my eyes snapped open.

My ears were deafened by the sound of my rapidly beating heart as I sat still in stunned suffocating silence.

My body felt numb, limp, and damp; a thin layer of sweat covered my quivering form.

Slowly, I looked around the room.

The cabinets, machines, bed, everything was in its place, everything was normal.

As I inspected the room I was in, my eyes fell on one of my brothers, who by the snoring and red mask I could quickly identified as Raph. He was sound asleep at the end of the bed.

_It was just a dream, _I thought to myself as I sighed in relief trying to slow my racing heart.

_It wasn't real_, _I'm home. _

Closing my eyes I felt relief wash over me.

_And here I thought it would have been cool to take a journey to the center of the earth, not anymore!_

Leaning back into the soft material of the bed, I tried willing myself back to sleep, but I could not relax. T he dream was still fresh in my mind.

I quickly fast-forwarded through the images of me on the roof alone, jumping, hanging for my life, my brothers, and Sven.

_Man, that was one trippy nightmare_, I reflected as I cautiously stretched out, being careful not to nudge my brother.

"I'll say," a voice to my right, snickered.

_What the?_

Snapping my head to the side, I could not hide the shock on my face. Sven was standing there, and grinning at me.

"Sven" I whispered sharply at the unusual teen, my eyes widening as he inched his way closer and leaned against the bed.

"The one and only," he snickered, while playfully saluting me.

His eyes held the same expression as they did in my dream…

Cold and yet overwhelmingly mesmerizing…

"How did you…you were…my brothers they…now Raph he is…why are you here now, you gotta leave," I sputtered, looking back forth between my sleeping brother and the now giggling boy.

Sven broke into full-blown laughter as he grabbed his sides, clearly amused. I felt my irritation and impatience slowly rise up as the boy continued laughing at me.

"What the heck is so funny," I hissed only to quickly place a hand over my mouth and guiltily glance at my sleeping brother.

"You, you are the funny one," Sven gasped in-between giggles, "I swear you have the worst memory, you are the only one that can see me so quite your worrying."

_Oh, yeah…that's right, _I thought to myself, relaxing a bit.

"It's just so weird," I whispered aloud more to myself than anyone else.

Sven stopped laughing and his look of glee was replaced by one of slight concern. Slowly, he removed his hands from his side and moved closer to the bed. Looking down, he noticed that there was an empty space, enough room for him to sit down next to me. Carefully, he eased his way onto the bed, his back facing the door and my sleeping brother, his eyes focused solely on mine.

For some reason, I could not look directly into his eyes. I felt an indescribable feeling of warmth, as if I felt this before but I did not know where, when, or if it was even real. I turned my head away and unconsciously, I began focusing on my brother, someone familiar, and someone I knew. I felt Sven silently shift on the bed, while a dazing sensation began forming in the back of my skull.

_This whole situation is seriously weird…_

"What's weird about it Mikey?"

"What do you mean what's weird about it?" I muttered aloud as irritation began setting in. Snapping my head back to Sven, I began to angrily converse with the now confused boy.

"You never told me who exactly you are, where you come from, and why I am the only one who can see you. Sure, I admit you vaguely touched on it a bit, but that explanation is not going to be enough, buddy."

Finishing my rant, I turned my head away from the boy another time in an attempt to block him out. I did not feel like talking with him.

"If it wasn't for the fact that you know how to give someone a killer headache, I'd be running through the lair like Paul Revere and announcing your presence," I mumbled as an afterthought.

With that last statement, silence made is presence once again. Raphael's rhythmic snoring became the loudest sound in the small dimly lit room. The occasional beep or whir from one of Donatello's various machines was also a common occurrence as we sat there. Seconds stretched on into minutes, and minutes slowly transformed into hours. I was lost in my thoughts, trying to make sense of everything. So much has happened since I have woken up, and most of it I did not understand.

_Perhaps I really am losing my mind_…

_Oh, my goodness that means Raph was finally right about something, _I thought to myself as panic set in.

"You are not losing your mind," a disappointed voice at my side spoke.

Slowly I rotated my head so I was facing the bizarre teenager once again, and I could not help but to feel slightly guilty. For the first time, his face lost its cocky stare and was replaced by one etched in immense pain and betrayal, even though he did try to mask it. He was staring down at his feet while mindlessly thumbing the hem of his pants. As if feeling my eyes staring at him, he finally looked up and spoke in the most solemn voice I have ever heard in my life.

"Y-you…you really d-don't…don't remember me…do you?"

"What are you talking about?" I gasped while leaning away from Sven in open mouth shock.

"How can I remember someone that I have never even met?"

Sven stared at me in disbelief, searching for something because it was clear that he did not believe what he was hearing. When he did not find it, he uttered a disheartened chuckle, while turning his around, facing his back towards me.

I saw his shoulders convulse, and then the rest of his body, as if he was trying to swallow a sob that was forming. Immediately, I felt guilt and sadness for the hurt boy.

_Man, I am such a jerk!_

Clearing my throat, I sat up a bit, trying to get a better view of the boy.

"Sven…what's wrong?"

He stopped trembling, and sat still for a moment before heaving a deep sigh and turning around to finally face me. His blue eyes, which were so clear, and mesmerizing before became clouded and haunted.

"You wouldn't understand," he mumbled not even trying to hide his disappointment.

"Oh yeah, why don't you try me," I responded now interested in what the teen had to say.

Sighing and staring at his feet once again, he spoke in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

"It…it just hurts knowing that after all this time, I remember you my best friend…but you don't even remember me."

_Wait…what?! _I gasped in disbelief.

"Yeah Mikey, we used to be best friends," Sven added, a small smile appearing on his dismayed face.

_If we were best friends like you claim_, I thought to myself.

"Then why don't I remember?"

"Remember what?"

A voice spoke from the recently opened door on the other side of the room as my blue-banded brother stealthily emerged through it.

_Oh crud,_ I thought looking quickly to my side, only to be met by an unoccupied space on the bed.

Sven had finally left again.

_Crap, I gotta think of something quick to tell Leo, and trust me, he is one smart turtle!_

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Note:<strong> Hiya folks! Here is another chapter for Psychosis and I must admit that this chapter was pretty fun to write!** I wonder if anyone has any guesses about who (or what) Sven might be!** If you think, your answer might spoil the story for everyone else, give some sort of watered down generic answer and then send me a more detailed one in a PM! Chances are I won't tell you if you are right or not (however, I will tell you if you are on the right track), but I wanna know how many clever readers are out there!

As always, please **review**! Constructive criticism is also welcomed with open arms!

Peace out and Happy Holidays!

-ChatterBOXX


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